#Thank you for the ask!! I promise I'll be out with the fic chapter soon

[just-an-ari]

I'm curious, how did Harlow first react to waking up in the manor and Wednesday and Thing and the general "We're gonna adopt you" vibe?

I am actually writing the fic right now so I wont spoil anything😤 but I will say, Harlow and Thing become besties (Thing is her role model and Wednesday hates it lmao)

[wizzdot]

The Patron Saint of One Way Trips

Ch4

Description: chapter 4 - I’m not entirely sure if this is any good. I need to go through and edit it but I’ll do that when I’m closer to knowing what’s actually gonna happen 🤣 we will wait and see! I’ve posted this on ao3 as well - same username and title. I love Wes Anderson, hence the Isle of Dogs theme. Feel that it fits the theme of this fic too. Anyhoo..

I allow Gaz to lead me to a well lit room. It looks like some sort of living area. Comfortable sofas and carpeted floors. This was totally foreign to me after my time spent in the facility. I felt so out of place. I flit my gaze to Gaz who must notice my discomfort or awkwardness, and he beckons at me to sit down on the sofa. I am still zipped up inside his warm jacket, which smells of a warm vanilla scent mixed with some variation of citrus fruit.. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it is comforting and calming. I try not to make it obvious that I am taking in his scent.

The others are already situated in their seats. I feel all of their eyes itching into my skin. I shrink back into myself again. The pack Alpha, their Captain, clears his gruff throat before speaking. "We have received information from Laswell. She has found your file and is going to send it over as soon as it is secured in the system.. she has told us you are not a direct threat to us. Is this correct, Laika? Can we trust you?"

I feel like scoffing at him. Me? Can they trust me? It's almost laughable that a pack of four huge Alpha's think that I, a drugged, undesignated girl, could threaten them. Not to mention that I am not in the best of shape due to lack of nutrition and poor sleeping habits. "Well..?" he prompts. I met his gaze for the first time since they'd found me. "I pose no threat to you or your pack members, Captain" - I decide to address him officially as pack Alpha. He stands a little straighter than he was before, obviously happy with my answer. I feel a sense of relief wash over me before dropping my gaze back to the floor.

A growl echoes through the silence, the others all looking between each other to find the source of the sound. Their eyes land on me. I can feel my face redden under their scrutiny - my stomach is the source of the growl. "S-sorry" I stutter anxiously. Gaz steps forward slowly and smiles down at me. "C'mon, let's go and get some food. I could eat too." He nods towards the left and I follow the motion with my eyes and see an open door to what looks like a kitchen. I stand up nervously and follow Gaz, taking the widest possible route around the masked man and Soap, still not trusting them.

I step into the kitchen area and Gaz opens the fridge and inspects the contents. "What d'ya like?" he asks. I shrug. "Not really eaten much since- since I've been their asset.. I-I used to like soup though.." - "Soup? Let me check the cupboards. Think we've got tomato.." He moves around the kitchen smoothly, opening and closing cupboards when he doesn't find what he is looking for. I stand in the corner quietly, trying to avoid getting in the way. "C'mere" he beckons me over - "tomato or chicken?" he nods to a stack of four tins -two of each flavour- stacked neatly in the overhead cupboard. "J-just whatever is spare will be nice. Th-thanks" I whisper. "C'mon, love, try to stop being so shy with me.. you can trust me, even if you aren't sure about my packmates yet, yeah? I promise you they're good men underneath their tough exteriors.." he tries to convince me. "S-sorry.. I'll try harder" I murmur. I decide to try and be bold - I step closer to him and look over his shoulder into the cupboard to inspect the tins of soup. "Tomato would be nice.." I utter quietly. Gaz's smile is instant. It lights up the entire room, my eyes drawn to it. Wow - he had beautiful teeth. Sharp canines, gleaming white.. It reminded me that my teeth had been neglected - only able to brush them a couple of times a week when they allowed me to shower. I suddenly find myself feeling self-conscious. I haven't even properly looked in a mirror for at least a year..

I step back again, feeling a little anxious after my inner thoughts had caught up with me. Damn him and his big, perfect smile. And his deep, kind eyes. "How buttery do you want your bread?" The question snaps me out of it. "Butter?.. uhm.. same as you?" I question my own answer. "I've not had butter for ages. Just stale or mouldy bread.." I admit. He sighs sadly, but immediately tries to cheer me up. "You should see how Soap takes his bread. I swear he would use an entire block of butter per slice if he could. It's gross" he says jokingly. I release the smallest giggle at that. He is smiling so brightly now that he knows that he successfully made me laugh. My defences drop for a split second thanks to the growing comfort I am feeling in Gaz's presence, and my mouth blurts out before I can catch it "they scare me..”

Gaz snaps his gaze back down to mine - "What? Who? Soap..? He is harmless" - "and the masked one" I add blushing, anxiously. "That's Ghost - the masked one. He can take a while to warm up to strangers.. he won't hurt you though. Promise" he reassures me. My eyes follow his hand closely as he gently places it on my shoulder, attempting to comfort me, I assume. I try not to tense up or flinch at the soft touch. I just stare at his hand until he slowly withdraws it. I jump slightly when the microwave dings. Gaz pours the soup into a bowl and hands it to me with a plate full of buttered bread. I stand there confused, just staring at the food that I am holding.

"C'mon, hope you don't mind eating on the sofa. We usually just eat off our laps.." he shrugs. "It smells nice.." I compliment, following him as he holds the kitchen door open for me seeing as I had my hands full. I, once again, take the widest route around Soap and Ghost.. I sit down at the very end of the sofa and wait for Gaz to sit in the place next to me, subconsciously using him as a barrier to the outside room.

"What did Gaz make you for tea, lass?" the rich Scottish voice chirped. I jump in my seat slightly. I quietly respond "Tomato soup" without looking at him, remaining hidden behind Gaz's body. Soap leans forward and looks right at me "Smells delicious. Any leftovers, Gaz?" he asks. "Make your own... tins are in the cupboard" - "Awkt, but you made her some.." - "I'm not microwaving soup for you, Soap, piss of mate" - "Fuck sake, ya prick, though we were supposed to be packmates.." The duo go back and forward like this in a light hearted tone for a couple of minutes. "I - I don't mind letting you have this.." I offer anxiously, shakily holding my plate out towards Gaz, feeling guilty that I'd taken their food.

Gaz gently guides the plate back into my lap. "Don't be silly, bug, you haven't even started it and you haven't eaten properly for ages. Get eating!" He instructs, I listen - ever obedient. I gently lift the spoon to my mouth and slurp the soup into my mouth. I swear it's the best thing I've ever tasted. I hum quietly to myself. Unbeknownst to me, Gaz and Soap are watching me with a fond smile on their faces. I eat about half of the bowl, and a slice of bread before feeling utterly stuffed. I slowly lift my gaze from the food and glance at Gaz. "I can't eat any more.." I whisper. "You sure? You've not eaten much.." - "I'm full.." I reassure him. Soap suddenly sits forward in his seat again, making me shrink back slightly again. "Ya done, Lass?" - "mmhmm" I murmer shyly - "Here, hand it over then!" he says keenly. Before I can even process his words, he has leant over Gaz and stolen the bowl and plate from me and was groaning in pleasure at the taste. I blush slightly, embarrassed, that he hasn't even replaced the spoon I had been using. "For fuck sake, Soap, you know she's jumpy. Tone it down a bit - yeah?" Gaz suggests to Soap. "Aye, sorry just starvin' - Sorry wee'yin" he gobbles around a mouthful of bread. I just stare at the scene in front of me, lost for words.

With warm food in my belly for the first time in forever, I start feeling sleepy. I slowly unzip Gaz's jacket, now that I'm warm again, and hand it back to him. "Thanks.." I whisper, placing it on his lap. Gaz tries not to show his disappointment that you are no longer wearing his jacket - his scent. "Are you wanting me to show you to the spare room? Think it's set up ready to use.." he offers. "If that's ok.. I - I don't want to be a hassle.." - "None of that, now.. C'mon, follow me."

I stand and follow obediently again. I enter the hallway after Gaz. The walls are wallpapered with a white floral pattern. It's light and airy. Gaz walks up a set of stairs to an upper level, I follow him closely. He stops on the upper landing and points to the left hallway. "It's the second door on the right. You'll have your own bathroom too." I nod and hesitate before walking independently down the hallway, feeling a little insecure, but deciding to be brave anyway. I get to the door and slowly twist the door handle. I glance back at Gaz who just nods and turns to go back down stairs to join the rest of his pack.

I step into the room and take stock of everything in it. The walls are covered in blue and white striped wallpaper. There is a window on the back wall of the room. I check out the bathroom which is to the right hand side of the room - it has a shower, sink and a toilet, with another smaller window behind it. I step back into the main room and look at the bed. I hesitate before slowly lowering myself down on it. It's soft. I should feel comfortable, but instead I feel exposed. Unsafe. I decide to look around the bathroom again, digging through the cupboards to see what I could use. I find a few toothbrushes, still in the packs, so I remove one and hurry to brush my teeth. It's funny how such a small bit of self care can make me feel cleaner. I decide to strip from my filthy clothes and step into the shower. I turn the water on, accidentally blasting myself with freezing water before it started to heat up. I don't even squeal, being all too accustomed to cold showers. I do, however, moan when the water starts to heat up. I check out all of the soaps and products on the rack in the shower. It all looks like male stuff but I don't care. I absolutely lather myself in it. I repeat it several times over. Lather. Rinse. Lather. Rinse. And so on...

I finally step from the shower when my skin starts to wrinkle. I haven't felt this clean since - well - probably ever! The wall of steam floods the bedroom when I leave the bathroom. I get myself dry and search the chest of drawers for something clean to sleep in. From the looks of the contents inside, it looks like standard military style clothing. I find some dark joggers and a khaki t-shirt. I quickly dress, finding myself having to seriously tighten the drawstring around my waist of the trousers and roll the sleeves up of the long sleeved t-shirt. I climb into bed and pull the covers tightly around me. I toss and turn before finally dozing off.

*Gaz's POV*

I show her the directions to the room she is to stay in, deciding to stay back and let her check it out for herself. Soap had stayed in that room a few nights ago when he pissed everyone off so badly, Ghost decided to punish him by throwing him out of the pack bed for the night. I just hope he had left it clean enough for her. I walk downstairs to the rest of my pack. I sit back down in my space next to Soap, who immediately chucks his legs over me, to rest them on my lap. I massage his legs for him, making him purr. I smile softly at my pack mate.

Price speaks up then. "Kyle - what's going on with the girl then..?" - "She's scared.. terrified. Fuck knows what they've done to her but none of it has been good. I think she is warming up to me though" I reply. He nods in agreement. "Kate sent over her file. It looks like she's been tortured and drugged to comply. Her designation is unknown - but she has been the asset behind all four of the most recent Makarov hits. And several before these too, before we were called up, so she certainly isn't as harmless as she makes out." I find myself nodding too, trying to piece together what all of this means. "Who is she, then?" Soap asks. "Her government name is Y/N Y/L/N - they called her Laika - apparently she was always co-operative, or obedient, I think is the word they used. I guess she was thrashed into submission. They say she is of a gentle, anxious, nature but the drugs helped 'level' her - whatever that means" Price explains.

"Turned her into a puppet, that means. A puppet to do all of their dirty work" I spit back, disgusted and angry. "So the drugs, are they still in her system? Is that why she isn't giving off any scent or signs of her designation?" I ask. "That's something we are going to have to ask her, Kyle. The file mentions that she gets 'topped up' every couple of months when she starts showing resistance" - "Poor girl was trying to fight it" I interrupt Price.

"Don't start getting attached, Garrick." Simon grumbles at me. "Piss off" I snap back.

"I'm tired, let's go to bed, yeah, talk about it in the morning?" I suggest. "Yep, Kyle's right, bed - all of you" Price orders. We all stand and make our way to our room. I glance toward the door of Laika - Y/N's - room and all seems quiet. Hopefully she is sleeping, I think inside my head.

*Back to Laika (Y/N's) POV*

I wake, startled - seeing visions of pools of blood I had been the cause of. Seeing lifeless eyes of those I had killed. I leap out of bed and start feeling my arm for my handkerchief. Shit shit shit. I'd left it somewhere. I slide down the wall panicking, trying to remember where the hell I had put it. All this time at the facility and I'd managed not to lose it. It comes to me all of a sudden. Gaz's jacket. My handkerchief is in the pocket of his jacket. I sneak out of the room and try to quietly tip toe downstairs. The stairs are a bit creaky but being quiet is my speciality. I finally find my way to the room we had been sitting in when I had returned the jacket to Gaz. It wasn't there. My stomach sinks. A single tear falls from my eye. I slump on to the couch and try not to weep. I can't go rooting about looking for it. I will just have to calm myself down and go back to my room. I try to gather myself.

Five, or so, minutes later, I stand and start to make my way back up the stairs. I avoid all of the creaky parts of each stair and successfully make it to the upper landing. I turn toward my room and gently close the door. I fail to notice the dark, masked Alpha, watching my every move. He slinks back into his pack's room, not waking them.

I try to settle back in the bed, failing miserably. I find myself crawling under the bed with a pillow and blanket, feeling safer in an enclosed space. I finally settle into a restless sleep.

[fairysluna]

INVISIBLE STRING | Chapter 4: you must like me for me.

New Girl!AU — A disastrous break up led you to them; three guys living in a huge apartment and in need of a new roommate who helped with the way too expensive rent.

MASTERLISTㅤ | ㅤSERIES MASTERLISTㅤ | ㅤPHOTO CREDIT

PAIRING - Modern!Aegon II Targaryen x Fem!Reader.

SUMMARY - the unexpected presence of Aegon in your room brings the so desired moment of him finally seeing you as a friend. However, you were never good at giving advice and it all ends in a big mess.

TW/TAGS - cursing, body dysmorphia, mentions of blood, insecurities, this might be considered as a slight chubby!aegon, make out session, mentions of nudity, slow burn, friends to lovers, things get heated but nothing happens. If something is missing pls let me know!!

AUTHOR'S NOTE - hi everyone, do you remember this fic? lmao. i know it's been MONTHS since i posted sth for this story, but well, i finally got the inspiration to write this, so this came out. I promise to be fully dedicated to this fic bc it's time i finish this already and bc im excited for it!! now im on vacations so i guess I'll have more time so... thank you if you waited for this fic, and thank you for reading!!🤍

WORD COUNT - 4.6k

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ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ english is not my first language.

When you finally entered the loft your right hand was holding three files filled with tests for you to grade while the other one was carrying your bag and the keys of your home. You quickly scanned the living room to see if someone was there in order to greet them, but it was empty and messy as usual; leftovers of pizza and a half empty bottle of Coke soda in the center table. “It must've been Aegon”, you thought.

With a sigh you walked towards your room, worrying not to drop anything from your hands and thanking the gods as you saw the door slightly open. You kicked it, accidentally hard enough to make it smack against the wall behind it, and as soon as you looked inside the room, your eyes widened in surprise and all the things that were held by your trembling arms fell around the floor.

Aegon was standing in the middle of your room, shirtless and in the middle of flexing his muscles right in front of your mirror. He noticed your presence immediately, and he ran towards his shirt that was laying on your bed and covered his naked chest with a wild expression remarkably printed on his now red face.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, breathlessly.

"This is my room!" you quickly replied, ignoring the thousands of papers that were now scattered on the floor.

"Weren't you supposed to arrive at six? It's four pm!" Aegon rapidly put his shirt back on.

"We- they let us go home earlier because it's the school's anniversary- what are you doing here?" you spoke, stammering and interrupting yourself. You were still a bit taken aback with this whole situation.

There was a slight moment of doubt in Aegon's mind that was quite evident for your observant eye; he looked away from you as his arms crossed in front of his chest to cover himself even when he was no longer exposing himself. You arched your eyebrow, silently insisting on an answer or some kind of explanation; two days ago you could have sworn he did not like you, but now seeing him standing in your room in such a condition made you overthink everything.

However, before you could think about questioning his lack of words, Aegon sighed loud enough for you to hear the embarrassment and resignation, and soon a mumble followed.

"You have a mirror," he replied.

His response did nothing but confused you even more. A frown appeared on your face, one small gesture that Aegon might have misinterpreted as an angered one if he hadn't known you enough.

"A mirror?" Aegon nodded.

"You're the only one who has one in the bedroom, and-"

"What about the bathroom?" You interrupted out of pure curiosity. "And Aemond has one too."

"Jace has been taking a shit for hours and Aemond forbade me to enter his room since what happened the last time." You were about to open your mouth to ask about it, but he was faster. "Don't ask," he warned you, and you pressed your lips together, remaining silent. "Listen, just forget this. I'm gonna leave right now, and we'll pretend this never happened. Okay?"

He started to walk towards you in order to cross the doorframe behind you. He passed right next to you, and for some unknown reason, your body decided to act before your mind could even process what was going on. Before you even noticed, your hand was wrapped around Aegon's wrist in a grip that was surprisingly strong. Aegon froze right in the spot and the first thing he did was to watch your hand, to then lift his face and lay his deep, lavender eyes on you.

Your jaw clenched, unsure of what to do since everything seemed to be happening strangely fast. The situation was confusing, and it made you act out of instinct leaving you standing there beside him, with just a few seconds left to say something before it turned into something awkward and weird.

Aegon, who would naturally and instinctively reject other people's touch, did not even attempt to push you away from him; he just waited until you removed your hand from his wrist. His reaction was quickly excused by his own mind, thinking that it was only because you took him by surprise.

"Uh…" you muttered, still trying to process what to say, "if- if there's something troubling you, you can tell me, you know? Maybe it's something I can help with."

He just shrugged, trying to make it seem unimportant.

"Not really," he said, leaving the room afterwards without saying another word.

You sighed, resigned to only be seen as his roommate and not as a friend. You tried not to think about it while you kneeled down to pick up the files and papers that fell from your hands when you entered your room, because you did not want it to let it bother you.

But, when you managed to put all your things on your desk, you turned around and saw Aegon standing in the doorway with arms crossed and a defeated look on his face, which had a slight pinkish tone that you would have found adorable in another situation.

"Actually, yes," he started, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him, as if he was scared of someone else listening to the conversation. "I kinda need help with something… I- uh, well, you are a girl so you probably know about this stuff, so…"

It was a difficult task for you to hide the emotion that lightened up your face after hearing his words, finally seeing the perfect opportunity to bond with the guy that has been avoiding you for weeks.

"Of course," you replied, trying not to speak too fast. "I can help you with anything."

"Alright." He nodded, looking down at the floor as he seemed to be putting some order to his words before they left his mouth. "So, the girl you saw the other day, the girl in the bar, remember?"

"I knew you liked her!"

"Well, I just want to bang her, but that's one way to put it," Aegon shrugged after his explanation, while you pressed your lips. "The thing is that, I think she's super hot and gorgeous, and way out of my league, and-"

"Oh, Aegon, you are handsome too!" You interrupted, and he quickly started to look impatient.

"Yeah, but that's not the point," he said, exasperated. "The thing is, the last time that I had sex, the girl I was fucking- uh… well, she said something about my body that really took me off."

"What did she say?" You curiously asked.

"She kinda made fun of it," he replied quickly, as if he was embarrassed.

Your eyes softened immediately after, and your first instinct was to touch him to give him support; however, halfway there you remembered he did not like those gestures, so your hand ended up in the air and seconds later you put it back. Aegon's breath was caught in his throat as he saw how your hand was so close to his skin.

"I'm sorry, Aegon."

"And now I can't get naked in front of this hot girl, even when I really want to!" He cleared his throat, and his tone suddenly changed, now being more angered rather than sad. "I just want to get laid, but I can't! This chick cursed me or something."

"You're not cursed," you said, trying to comfort him somehow. "Listen, you need to work on your self confidence, and-"

"And how do I do that?"

"Do what?"

"How can I work on my self confidence?"

You frowned, "I don't- I'm not sure how-"

"Oh come on!" He raised his voice with exasperation. "You're a teacher! Aren't you supposed to give guidance to your students?"

"Well, my students don't usually ask for sexual advice from their teacher so…"

"You need to help me, please," he pleaded, and you could clearly see the despair in his eyes begging you to say something useful.

You knew you could not fuck this up, not when it was probably the only chance you could have to bond with him after days trying to make him look at you as a friend. Inside of your mind you tried to remember anything that could work in this situation, all those psychology seminars you attended during your college days were coming back to your mind as you thought of an answer.

"Well, you can… try to stand naked in front of a mirror, maybe after you shower, and see the qualities of your body that you like the most."

“Would that work?”

“It might.”

“You sure?”

“Uh… Yes.”

He stood there, silently looking at the floor as he nodded. He muttered something that sounded like a ‘thanks’, and then he slowly turned around. He was visibly embarrassed, he was feeling too vulnerable to look at your face after opening up to you. Of course you immediately noticed, and, as you tried to ignore it, you found some words that you thought he might need to hear.

"Aegon," you called him, and he froze with one foot out of the room and the other inside. He turned around to look at you over his shoulder, and you sighed, "just remember that every person has his own concept of beauty, and only because someone didn't appreciate yours, it doesn't mean other girls won't… We are all beautiful under the right pair of eyes."

He clenched his jaw, gave you a small –almost unnoticeable– nod, and he left. You stood there for a few more seconds before you returned your attention to what you were supposed to be doing. The papers that now were on your desk, were waiting for you to grade them. Just the mere thought of reading through them made you sigh with exhaustion.

It was going to be a long day.

A knock on your door got you distracted enough for you to stop doing your task. The pen dropped from your hand as you turned around to find Jace with a soft smile on his face. You smiled back at him.

“Hey,” you greeted him.

“Are you too busy?” He asked, “I've brought some Chinese food to eat for dinner.”

“Let me finish revising these papers and I'll be there in a minute,” you said as he nodded.

He was about to leave, but then he returned. “Oh, I almost forgot,” he started, “the bathroom lock is broken, so you need to knock before you get in, just in case we're inside.”

“Are you guys gonna buy a new one?”

“Yes. Aemond will go tomorrow after work, we'll divide the costs afterwards,” he explained.

“Oh, alright.”

“Now, hurry or the food will get cold,” he said, and then left the room leaving the door open.

You managed to finish the paper a few minutes later, and then you went to the bathroom to wash your hands before going to eat with the rest. You did what you were told, and you knocked on the door. You waited a couple of seconds, making sure no one would reply from inside before you finally opened the door.

As soon as you opened it, you saw Aegon standing in front of the mirror and staring at himself. Naked.

“Oh, Gods!” you yelped. Your eyes involuntarily taking a quick look over him.

Damn.

“What the fuck?!” he screamed, covering his nudity with both of his hands and wildly blushing.

“Oh gods, I'm so sorry-”

“Get out!”

You acted so quickly that your legs tumbled against each other on your way out. The loud sound of the door closing behind your back echoed in the empty hall as you covered your mouth with your hand, a nervous giggle escaped from your lips before you could even try to hold it back. Your eyes were wide open, and your mind tried to process what you had just seen; Aegon fully naked.

Aemond and Jace soon appeared in the hall as they heard the screaming and the door slam. You looked at them with your breathing fast and sharp, staring at them as if you've seen a ghost. Their curiosity peaked.

“What happened?” Aemond asked, visibly worried.

“Uh- I…”

“Are you okay?” he asked again, and you started to feel a bit overwhelmed.

“I just- I need to- uh… wait for me a bit, I'll- I'll be back in a minute.”

The heat on your cheeks was impossible to ignore as you locked yourself in your room, completely ignoring their questions; you were panicking. You felt dumb, and you closed your eyes frustrated knowing that you screwed it up. You invaded his space and now he will, inevitably, put some distance with you. Now you just wanted to bury your face in the pillow out of embarrassment. How were you supposed to talk to him now that you saw him in all his glory?

And, oh gods, there was glory.

You were ashamed of what just happened; or maybe you just felt embarrassed because you couldn't help but blush at the memory of his body.

The pillow between your hands went straight to your face, muffling the groan that you let go as you fell onto your bed. Gods, you were fucked.

That very same early morning, after finishing their shift, Aegon was supposed to make his first move on the girl who had been in his mind. It was already closing time, the bar was empty at 5am and there was only him and Ceryse. She would occasionally glance at him hoping he would notice that she wore her tightest shirt for him. However, Aegon was busy trying to cheer himself up, trying to forget about that stupid chuckle of yours that still echoed in his mind, haunting him like a fucking ghost.

He had heard you, and –of course– his insecurities made him think the worst.

He was so nervous. It was almost embarrassing how sweaty his palms were; the situation was out of his control and he hated it. He was barely able to focus on his task, absentmindedly cleaning a glass with a cloth as he tried so hard to ignore her presence just to not feel so anxious. His shaky hands failed, and his plan to go unnoticed was unsuccessful; the glass slipped from his fingers and broke into pieces on the floor.

Ceryse widened her eyes and she immediately went to help him, which only made things worse for him. In a desperate attempt to keep her away, he kneeled on the floor and started to pick the glasses with his bare hands, causing small cuts all over his fingers as he did. Low curses and soft moans left his lips as the pinching pain appeared, and Ceryse —as lovely as always— tried to stop him by grabbing his hands and forcing him to stand up.

“You fool,” she mumbled, looking at the bleeding cuts on his fingertips. “You hurted yourself.”

“It's not a big deal-”

“Let me get the emergency kit, don't do anything,” she went to the manager’s office and came back in about a minute later with a red and white box in her hands. Aegon was breathing heavily. He had never felt so insecure.

With the help of a forceps, she started to remove the tiny pieces of glass from his fingers. Aegon would hold his breath, not being able to control his heartbeat when he had her so close to him; he was able to smell her perfume and see her cleavage. He knew he had to be excited, he knew he had all the reasons to enjoy that moment, but you and your stupid giggle refused to leave his mind.

“There,” she murmured as she finished. “Nice and clean.”

Aegon looked at his fingers and noticed how small drops of blood were forming in the tiny cuts. Ceryse took a small tissue and gently tapped on the wounds, cleaning them. Aegon had his lips slightly parted, stiff as a rock as he was almost scared to move. He cursed again, and she softly smiled at him as she finished.

“There you go,” she said, “clean and healed.”

“Uh… Thanks,” Aegon replied, giving her an awkward smile.

She remained silent for a bit, looking at him up and down through her long, blonde lashes. She was visibly flirting with him, but he seemed to be ignoring her. Ceryse had been waiting long enough for him to make the first move, so she now took advantage of their situation; both of them completely alone in the closed bar, about to finish their night shift. She wasn't going to let this opportunity go.

“Are you done playing that game?” She asked. Aegon frown.

“What?”

“I've noticed the way you look at me, Aegon…” she murmured. His breathing was caught on his throat when she started to slowly unbutton her blouse. “I want to let you know that… I've been wanting the same thing for a long time.”

“What- I- uh… what?”

She giggled, and it was the sexiest sound he had ever heard, yet it wasn't enough to suppress your goddamn laugh. A small ‘fuck’ escaped his lips before he could hold it back, and her hands were pressed on his thighs as she leaned towards him. Aegon hummed, cheeks burning red as he felt so exposed all of the sudden.

“We're alone now,” she murmured, brushing her lips against his jaw. “We can do it right here, right now…”

“I don't know if- If it's a good idea…”

She looked shocked.

“Is Aegon Targaryen rejecting an adventure?” she teased him. “Who are you?”

“There's cameras.”

“I turned them off when I went to the office.”

“What if someone walks in?”

“That would only make things spicier.”

“What if it's Nick,” he said, referring to their manager.

“He won't come until 10am.”

He ran out of excuses. The eagerness was visible in her eyes as she bit her lip.

“I'm done waiting, Aegon…” she murmured.

“Ceryse-”

She silenced him with a kiss, and he widened his eyes. He was unable to concentrate on whatever was happening at that moment. His heart was racing, his breathing suddenly ragged, and his hands still shaking as he tried to hold her waist.

Aegon tried to focus and enjoy this. He closed his eyes and followed the kiss, but things got a bit more complicated when she daringly grabbed one of his hands and put them in her rear. Somehow, he felt uncomfortable, so instead of giving her a squeeze, he moved his hands to her hips.

Fuck, he wanted to run and hide.

When her hands attempted to go under his shirt, he squirmed away from her touch, still managing to keep his lips pressed against hers. She giggled, thinking he was just playing hard to get, but as she repeated the action, the outcome was the same.

“Come on, baby,” she murmured against his lips, starting to feel the awkwardness of the situation.

“Just- wait… Ceryse, wait.”

“Don't be shy now…” she said, biting his lip. Aegon hissed.

“I need you to wait- shit,” he said as he squirmed away from her touch once again.

She leaned back, taking a few steps backwards before she looked at him. Her hands immediately went to her chest, to cover the skin that was exposed thanks to her unbuttoned blouse. Her cheeks lit up like fire as she realized how uncomfortable Aegon was.

“Shit…” she murmured, feeling deeply ashamed. “I thought- I thought you liked me. I'm sorry…”

“I do, I swear, I- Ceryse!”

“I'm so sorry, Aegon.”

“No, Ceryse, wait-”

She turned around and left, picking her bag from the counter and leaving the bar in a hurry. Aegon stood there, frozen in his place, his purple eyes filled with confusion to what had just happened, and once the realization hit him like a truck, he brushed his hands against his face and sighed.

“For fuck’s sake.”

Back in the apartment, you were sitting drinking your morning coffee before going to school. You were staring at the news on the TV before you heard the front door slamming close. You jumped in your place, looking confused until Aegon appeared in your sight; your cheeks immediately getting warm as the image of his nudity came back to your mind. However, the expression on his face made you forget about all the embarrassment, and you worried instantly. You hurried to stand up from the kitchen table and go towards him, he groaned as soon as he noticed you were getting closer.

“Aegon, are you alright?” You asked, but there was no answer.

He walked past you, going to the kitchen and ignoring you completely. Of course that your preoccupation did not let you notice such a gesture.

“Hey, is there something you want to talk about?” You insisted, trying to look over his shoulder. “I know what happened might be a little embarrassing for you, but I just want you to know that I barely saw anything!”

Aegon ignored you again.

“Aegon, come on,” you said. “I can help you with anything-”

“Can you?” He interrupted you as he finally turned around and acknowledged your presence. “Because last time you helped me, you cause me another fucking trauma!”

Your eyes widened in surprise.

“What do you mean?”

He sighed, closing his eyes while he debated inside his mind whether to tell you what had just happened or just keep it to himself. But you were annoyingly insistent, and he just wanted to be alone all day.

He always wanted to be alone when things went wrong.

“You fucked me up even more!” he exclaimed, making you lean back and your lower lip trembled, feeling awful. “I couldn't fuck Ceryse because your stupid laugh was replaying in my mind over and over again,” he confessed. “Like a fucking reminder that my body sucks!”

“Aegon, I didn't-”

“You fucking laughed at me!”

“I didn't laugh at you, Aegon!” you raised your voice, matching his tone. “I was nervous, it was an awkward situation. I saw you naked! Of course I would get nervous!”

Aegon went silent, pressing his lips in a thin line as his eyebrows furrowed. You took a step closer, but he took a step back. You sighed defeated, knowing that all the progress you have made to become his friend had easily vanished in a matter of seconds.

“Look,” you said. “I'm sorry, Aegon. I never meant to make you feel bad.”

He scoffed.

“Yeah, as if a simple apology would fix it,” he said, pettily.

You both stayed in silence for a few seconds, your lips pressed in a thin line as you tried to come up with a solution to your problem. It was certain that you did not have too many options, and Aegon was not giving signs of having an idea to fix it either. That is why you panicked, and your hands went to the hem of your shirt and started to lift it up.

“What the fuck are you doing?!” he asked, scandalized.

“I'm getting naked so we can call it even,” you explained, as if it was the most obvious thing ever.

“I don't want to see you naked! What is wrong with you?”

“Well, then what do you want me to do? I can't get inside your brain and take my laugh out of it.”

“I certainly don't want to see you naked!” he said.

“Alright, I'm sorry, okay?!” you quickly said, looking at his eyes. “I'm sorry that I laughed, and I'm sorry it made you feel bad.”

“That doesn't-”

“Shut up,” you interrupted him. “You are not ugly, you're hot. There, I said it! You have a handsome face and a hot body, and even though you're so grumpy sometimes, your face compensates for it. You know why? Because you are handsome, you idiot.”

“I-”

“I wish I could go with that girl and beat her fucking ass for what she did to you. I wish!” His eyes widened, he was slightly flustered. “She didn't know what she had. You're a good catch, Aegon, and if you don't start to believe it for yourself then no one will.”

You left the room in an overly dramatic walk, leaving Aegon behind with his eyes wide open and his cheeks red. His breathing, somehow, was fast and unsteady. His blood was running quickly down his body as he cleared his throat and turned around to worry about his breakfast. Yet, your words had left a feeling in his gut which felt quite nice.

Aemond suddenly walked out of his room and stopped when he saw Aegon standing in the middle of the open kitchen, staring at the unbaked bacon in the pan. He was weirded out by his brother's strange attitude.

“What's wrong with you?” Aemond asked.

Aegon woke up from his trance and shook his head.

“Nothing.”

He didn't sound too convincing.

“We made a pact, Aegon,” he reminded him, going towards the coffee machine and pouring some of it on a cup. “You are not allowed to sleep with her.” he whispered those last words just to make sure you wouldn't hear it.

“What are you talking about?” he scoffed.

“Just a reminder,” Aemond shrugged, sipping his coffee while Aegon finally turned on the stove.

“Shut up.”

It was 6pm when you arrived back in the apartment after a long day at school. You were dragging your feet through the hall and towards your room, noticing that neither Aemond or Jace had arrived yet, and Aegon was probably in his room. It had been a long day, and the only thing that you craved was a nice and warm shower before going to bed. It was a need.

After your discussion with Aegon in the morning and the tiny bug in your chest that was making you feel guilty all day, you needed some time to relax, to stand beneath the warm water and let it wash away all the stress of your body. So that's what you did.

You took off your clothes the moment you stepped into the bathroom, then quickly got in the shower, feeling the warmth wrapping your body. Your shoulders immediately relaxed and you saw all your troubles vanished in that instant, you let yourself sigh.

Your mind went blank and all you could feel was the warmth and comfort the water produced. It was lovely, it made you forget about all the issues and troubles.

When you finished, you stood there for a bit longer, enjoying the last moments of peace before you would cross your path with Aegon's.

What you did not expect was that, at the very moment that you opened the shower curtain, Aegon opened the door.

And he looked at you.

Naked.

You screamed as your hands went to cover yourself as much as you could. Aegon's mouth dropped as he stared longer than he should have, his pale cheeks turning red as he swallowed hard.

“Aegon!” you yelled his name.

Only then he seemed to react, because he immediately muttered a small ‘sorry’ and then he closed the door. You immediately took the towel from the hanger and you covered yourself, breathing fast. You almost slipped in your way out of the shower, silly movements as you were still trying to take in what had happened.

That goddamn door lock.

Then, in the middle of the silence, you heard him speak.

“Well, I guess we’re even now, aren't we?” he joked on the other side of the door.

“Shut up!” you said, between nervous laughs.

He laughed it off too, and that sound made you smile wider as your cheeks got warm.

It was true though; now you can finally call it even.

BOLD MEANS I COULDN’T TAG YOU

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[amusingmusie]

Hi

I'm not going to be updating this week. I'm overwhelmed right now and need a quick break. This isn't a hiatus. The update will be soon, but when I'm ready. I know you guys want an update and I'm flattered people are invested in this, but blowing up my inbox on anon (there are many examples of this I have not responded to because I didn't want to engage with them) isn't going to make me write faster. I work and have a life. If you are that desperate to demand I post a new chapter, you can pay me real US dollars for it. Writing isn't easy, especially when my chapters are landing between 6k-9k words nowadays and I have to edit.

There have also been comments popping up on ao3 complaining about aspects of my fic that are clearly tagged. I get it, it's not everyone's cup of tea. It's got a lot of moving parts, it has other characters besides Al and Reader, I've got an insert with race/gender descriptors (which I would not be using if my fic didn't take place in Jim Crow era NOLA with heavy sexism in the mix, race is a big factor of my story, I chose to explore a mixed race relationship, it will have an actual impact on the plot, I didn't throw it in there because I'm an asshole).

That being said, if I have something specifically tagged and you don't like it, don't click on my work. If you don't like my fic then don't read it. I'm going to begin blocking people at this point. I'm not above criticism. I am above people feeling entitled to complain about something they were warned about then turning it on me.

I'm not saying this for anyone to come kiss my butt, I don't want or need that. I'm only being honest about why I need a few days away. I do this for free and because I enjoy doing this. I shouldn't be crying because I'm so stressed over a fanfic. So, before I fizzle out again, I'm stepping away. I may upload other pieces I've been working on or I may go silent. I've got a Huskerdust piece I'm having a lot of fun with. Either way, I'm gonna do what makes me happy and I'll be back with an update later in the month.

If this sounds like I'm yelling at you, that's not my intention. I am just so tired and done with not saying anything. To the pookers that are very kind and supportive, thank you so much. To the asks in my inbox, I promise I will be getting to you guys when I'm back and thank you for engaging with me. I don't want to act like I don't have awesome people in my circle or it's all doom and gloom. This has been boiling and finally reached a head tonight. I will be okay. I just need a minute.

See you soon,

-Muse

[myeagleexpert]

𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕻𝖆𝖘𝖘𝖆𝖌𝖊 𝖔𝖋 𝕳𝖔𝖒𝖊 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝕬𝖜𝖆𝖐𝖊𝖓𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖔𝖋 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝕾𝖙𝖆𝖗 ( PT2 )

And if you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? Howl's Moving Castle x Twisted Wonderland Au (Vil x Fem!Yuu) PS: This was written before Vil's new updates in the new chapters, I'm delving deeper into Vil's character and I know he's not just "a pretty boy" but for the direction of the story, he will have to follow this personality aspect a little more to this characteristic part of it. So I'm sorry if this isn't the most faithful fic to the character he is. I promise I will edit better, so that it has better quality.

Part1 You're here Next

"Bro, if you don't come soon I swear I'll get her alone!"- Ace stood with his arms crossed outside Heartslabyul's kitchen while Deuce carried a beautiful and tasty strawberry pie that Trey just made, the smell of pie woke up all the members of the dorm leaving them in a wonderful mood, if even the tyrannical Riddle smiled with that pie it would certainly work on Yuu too right?

"Don't rush me Ace! After all that stress yesterday the least we can do is apologize to Yuu."

"And you needed to give Trey more work and make him another pie so soon?"

"Well….er….With model students we must go beyond simple apologies!"- Suddenly, Deuce's jovial face turned red but he quickly remembered that shame should not stop him from apologizing to his friend.

"Come on! She's not even that mad!" raising his arms in resignation he continued “Okay, she is angry! But this happens almost every day, she is already used to it, and besides…” the nosy man put his finger in the gelatinous broth of the pie and licked his fingers. in such an unpretentious way “It’s not like she’s going to disappear out of nowhere and we won’t be able to say goodbye, she’s our friend.”

Deuce sighed heavily and finally agreed with his friend. Trapolla, with a genuine smile, began to remember some adventures they had already had and plan new adventures with Yuu and Grim would also love the antics. And hope filled their hearts. Planning after planning. After all, Yuu would always be with them, right?

“I'm grateful that you managed to get here as quickly as possible.” With a serious voice, the old crow thanked everyone present in the mirror room, from teachers to leaders and vice-leaders, some of Yuu's colleagues were also there.

"We know it's something important Crowley, we need to discuss this as soon as possible" - it was in the middle of breakfast that Riddle heard ADeuce's desperate screams, and when he turned up his nose thinking that the morning had already started badly he couldn't imagine it would get worse.

“So what do we know so far? I only heard loud noises all morning” - the lion grumbled

“The members of my dorm, Ace and Deuce, when they went to pick Yuu up for classes early in the morning, discovered that Yuu and Grim had mysteriously disappeared.”

“Have you looked for clues in the abandoned dormitory?”

“ That's the problem: the entire Ramsharckle Dorm is gone! Not even a piece of wood on the floor, no ghosts, just a mark on the floor where he used to stand” Trey replied and while he already felt anxiety in his heart, he knew that the first boys must be feeling it more. When the two arrived screaming like maniacs in the dorm asking them to follow Trey knew something was strange, due to the fact that his precious pie was dropped on the floor. Not even in an overblot had Deuce dropped a cupcake, but a pie on the floor must have been quite a problem.

“Oh, now that’s a problem.” putting his hand over his mouth Jade whispered discreetly in Azul's ear

“There are rumors all over the school. How could an ENTIRE dorm disappear out of nowhere? What about our protection field?” Leona had had his precious 9am post-sleep nap interrupted when conversations from all kinds of beastmen started to get very loud and his sensitive ears picked up some things.

“I heard that Yuu hasn't shown up to class yet. Did you take their notes?”

“The meteor shower was incredible yesterday! I took several photos and posted them on Magicam!”

“There is a horrible smell near the statues of the seven! A very strong smell of rotten eggs and vinegar!”

" You will not believe! You know that girl's dorm without magic? IT DISAPPEARED"

“Our protective field detected nothing, no changes.”

“What if the dorm is gone but Yuu and Grim are still somewhere in the school? Can Rook use his magic and try to look for them both?”

The hyena knew two things: Nothing disappears without a trace and that Yuu would do anything for her and Grim to survive. No wonder she survived 7 overblots. They are alive.

“Yes, Monsieur Dandelion” when reciting his unique magic, the hunter combined it with a magic from his wand so that everything he was seeing, others would also see with a projection of his magical range - an idea that came from Yuu.

i s e e y o u

Spell cast but no result, Rook searched every dormitory and every hidden corner of the school, the deserts of scarabia to the bottom of the waters of octaveinelle, in the royal school, in the noble school, in the cities they had visited before but nothing… for one good period of time….nothing.

“Je suis désolé, I didn’t find anything”

“Oh for the seven! How terrible! What do we do?" Crowley, oh so sad, exclaimed.

“Did they come home?"

“Did she run away?” “But what happened that made her run away so suddenly?”

Some voices whispered among themselves, others created more theories about what could have happened.

Malleus was in the corner of the room, absorbed by the shadows of the room, he could see how each person missed Yuu and Grim and how emotions were expressed on their faces, but Schoenheit's looked strange, it wasn't the same expression as sadness that Heartslabyul's dorm leader,it was Silver's expression when he was a child doing something wrong and Lillia caught him in the act… oh yes… guilt.

“Let’s split up, if the dogs just whine, it won’t help anything!” with authority determined to find the two, Crewel spoke out -“The two first year pups, Trey, Riddle, Blue, Rook and Jack go to the Ramsharckle to inspect for any clues in the dorm, any smell, footprint, anything.

Ruggie, Jamil, Jade and Carter, I need you to interrogate the students and find out how the rumors came about and if we have any useful information. Kalim and Epel, stay in this group too.

For the rest, check the library to see if there is any phenomenon linking last night to Ramscharkle's disappearance and calm down the dorms.”

“Any information must be said immediately. Stay calm, we will find them.” concluded Trey and they were soon dismissed

"Child of man, how did you know that Grim would precisely knock down that vase?" - prince in all his wisdom, asks Yuu who had just picked up a vase from the shelf exactly 5 seconds before the monster cat appeared out of nowhere and knocked in the exact location of the vessel.

"Intuition." Malleus's gaze asked for more information and so she graciously gave it “It's when we have the act of perceiving, discerning or sensing things, independently of reasoning or analysis to conclude something, you know? “ “Could this be a magic that only belongs to humans?”

“I don’t think so Tsunotaro” she laughed so cutely “So when you get a feeling about something, go ahead, there’s a good chance you’re right.”

Go ahead

His eyes narrowed and followed Vil's movements, who silently took another path from the research group.

Some things were discovered in each group:

1- The dormitory is completely gone, with all the members. 2-there is a very slight smell of Yuu in a single small section 3- Sam's friends saw Yuu just before the meteor shower started 4- Yuu was upset with some people (rumors) 5- All photos of the meteor shower are blurry 6- Absolutely nothing else

The students looked disappointedly at the paper list before handing it to Crowley, just some facts with few connections between them and no matter how much they looked for some magic or some phenomenon to explain what happened but the results of their efforts yielded nothing, just hearts. sad and heavy consciences and remained that way for a few days.

Until one day, the universe decided to smile at the boys again and especially at the manliest boy in Pomefiore who was pouting on his bed after being tugged on Vil's ear.

“Umnh…hello pewpaw?” “Hello my sweet! How are you?" his grandmother's voice calmed the lilac-haired boy for the first time in days “I’m fine grandma, things have been really complicated these days, but I’m trying hard to get stronger!” “Okay, grandma knows you’ve been having a rough day, so send an extra box of apple juice for you and your friends!” “Thank you, I’m sure they’ll love it-” “And Yuu, how is she?” my crush is missing in the middle of the world and we have no idea if anyone would say we will see her again, thank you “Well, she is… fine….but something happened that-” “Yesterday she said she wasn’t feeling very well, so I gave her that apple and lemon drink and wow! She looked really pretty!”

what WHAT?

“Yesterday grandma? What? Where?” genuinely confused and stunned even more so because Rook appeared out of nowhere next to him and silently asked to turn on the speakerphone on his cell phone. “I bumped into her in the village on Sage Island when we went to make some apple juice deliveries, I even thought you would be close to her with some friends! A pretty girl is not meant to walk alone!”

“How was she, grandma? Was she ok? Where did you see her exactly? “ Exasperated and anxious, the boy tried to control himself so as not to make it too obvious how worried he was! But Crowley, in all his old bird wisdom, ordered that no one should speak of this matter outside of the NRC people.

“She was in front of a store when we bumped into each other, I don't remember the name of the store because some were already closing. I don’t know why but she feels different”

“Like what grandma?” “Like…. magical…. but isn’t she the girl without magic who studies with you?” “Yes, yes… And!… ah… How was she d-different?" - increasingly anxious he had no idea what to think and what to ask without shouting that she was missing “I didn’t see him… um…. She likes it differently, I don’t remember what”

Rook thought of a strategy while Epel pulled out his hair, the hunter wrote on a piece of paper he took from the desk the most direct questions about what everyone wanted to know!

“Grim.was. with. her.? “I didn’t see him… um…. She looked different, I don’t remember what but it was the only thing I remember.”

“Did.she.tell.where.she.was going?” Rook's handwriting looked like a drunken French monarch writing, so give Epel credit for reading that riddle while he was trying not to pass out

“If she said, I don’t remember, she had some bags in her hand and that she had to run because she was in a hurry.” “Hurry.to.what?Hurry.to.where?”

“I don’t know Epel! I don't go around meddling in people's lives! Why are you so interested in her life? It’s like you don’t see her every day at school!”

“Sorry.dear.grandma.I’m curious.ha.ha”

“Anyway, do you know what happened here? Your uncle—-” the dear, sweet old lady couldn't finish the day's gossip because Epel had nervously hung up and ran off to send messages to the first-year students while running like crazy to Crowley's office.

Rook celebrated the victory and elegantly told the evil queen the news. Meanwhile, Lady Pewpeaw looked in the mirror and thought: I already know! She changed her hair! Or is it the hair that changes people? She looked very chic and elegant. Ahh, I hope my grandson Epel can win the heart of that beautiful girl!

As Epel ran with all the strength his legs could carry, which was a lot now that he was in the Spelldrive club, he sent messages to the other first-year students excited about the possibility of Yuu being found and a certain hunter was able to smile knowing that he would have fresh news to tell the evil Queen.

After a brief meeting between the first-year students and briefly with the leaders, Crowley allowed them to investigate possible clues. The boys searched every alley and store with their hearts burning with hope, Deuce was ready to hug her while Ace was preparing a lecture on why she disappeared out of nowhere leaving them all distressed. Jack concentrated as he remembered Yuu's familiar smell, the smell so different from the bunch of men in NRC, the smell that was unique to her. Epel was looking for the address that her grandmother had given her, always looking at the clock and the port, if she could only stay until sunset, that means she would have to leave before dark.

----- The sun finally set, giving way to the moon that illuminated the boys' journey back to school. The hopeful young hearts returned broken, hopeless, shattered, and without any trace of Yuu. Each one informed their dorm leader, Leona just turned her back and tried to sleep knowing that no matter how much she closed her eyes she wouldn't have rest until she found Yuu, Riddle for the first time didn't finish the strawberry pie, and Vil…. Vil was different. Vil was “strangely strange”, when even after receiving the news about Yuu's case he couldn't sleep properly, even with a beauty campaign that was going to make his skin wasn't radiant and a pimple appeared on the corner of his chin.

“The Campaign is tomorrow. How can I let such futile emotions ruin my skin just for tomorrow”? – the poisonous king thought as he touched up his makeup looking at a small hand mirror, taking care that his facial features didn't show the makeup.

“I can't believe we didn't achieve anything Jack!” Vil heard some voices in the hallway.

“It was a good attempt Epel. One time or another we will find an answer.”

“But…but we were so so close! I went to the exact store my pewpaw said but no clue!Damn! When the fuck we gonna have a track like this?!” maybe at another time Vil would fight with Epel for letting his accent come out rougher but the conversation was getting to the queen's delicate nerves

“In Tiana’s Palace there was only the smell of food, nothing of Grim or Yuu. I’m sorry Epel.” Vil might not have seen it, but he could have sworn Jack was rubbing his neck and looking down, probably feeling guilty about for not having found the prefect.

Is he to blame, Vil?

A voice called from the mirror and Vil was so scared that he dropped his mirror on the floor, breaking it into pieces, and he could no longer hear the gossip. But that wasn't the worst, my friends. The worst was right in front of the young prodigy's face. A wrinkle in the middle of the forehead.

“In the name of Gucci this can’t be happening!”

Is he to blame, Vil?

If he hadn't been so worried about his precious skin, he would have noticed a small bat watching him in a corner of the bathroom. Quickly composing himself, he headed to the Film Club at the appointed time.

The moon was shining in the sky and all Vil could think about was the last moments he spent with Yuu, if he said sorry, would she come back? No no, he's not the problem! This is pure coincidence! He turned over the bed and looked for his beauty sleep, but only found guilt and loneliness.

“Maybe a walk will help relax my nerves?” - he put a comfortable jacket over it before opening the door

It was supposed to be just a walk, through the hall of Pomefiore's grand corridors But Vil's desperation led him to the port of Sage's Island with his broom, looking for one last hope of finding Yuu. After all, to get a proper beauty sleep he had to solve the problem of his insomnia first. Some stores were still open, parties, nightclubs, a small village but so bright! With people laughing and talking, how lovely. Every person who recognized the celebrity asked for a photo and an autograph and the question he wanted to ask everyone died in his mouth. """Have you seen this person recently?"""

Putting his acting skills to good use, he put on his best face that didn't show how terribly guilty he felt and lost in his thoughts he entered the dorm, maybe the Film Club had something that could distract him, spend some time energy and quality sleep, maybe some sleeping pills… something…. the bedroom is not the best time right now, not when he can't sleep. And here he is, in the pit of frustrations. In the place where that day happened.

“The weather is pleasant tonight, wouldn’t you agree, Schoith?” Malleus's cordial voice cut through his train of thoughts, like the brakes on a speeding train. He had just entered the club, then closed the door. The atmosphere was strange, like sticking your hand in a hornet's nest with sleeping bees. What was the great one doing here?

“Greetings, Draconia. I thought I locked the door, the club is closed now. As you can see around, everything is a mess. ”- Vil gestured his arms indicating the mess that the studio was around, with open boxes and disheveled wigs, it seems that the students who remained there after he left did not clean up the mess, much to Vil's annoyance.

“What a vulgar club this is. With such vulgar fantasies.” Malleus's repetitive voice was like a poison, the atmosphere was no longer “strange”, it was cold and heavy, the heir of the Valley of Thorns did not hesitate to hide the contempt and hatred mixed in his words “And you are the most vulgar thing from here."

The bees woke up.

“Yes, it’s messy! A few rotten potatoes didn't clean up the mess, they'll see about it tomorrow! It's none of your business.” Angry, the bees buzzed away, leaving the environment more agitated and hostile. No matter how much Vil tried to remain classy, his eyebrows showed his indignation and his fists were ready to attack.

Malleus approached, circling the leader of the Pomefiore domain, like a predator and his prey. The prince's eyes shone a bright shade of green and his pupils became increasingly thinner. Through the window, some thunder and lightning ripped through the sky, revealing Malleus' internal storm.

“I heard that there will be an important campaign tomorrow. Surely, you don't go that way, do you? Please don’t ruin the Queen’s reputation, after all, how do you want to continue her legacy if you have broken nails like any commoner?” looking directly at Vil's closed fists, Malleus smiled with disdain and a slight satisfaction seeing the oh so beautiful Vil shaking with anger.

“How dare Malleus? I don't know what you're doing here but leave immediately!” - furious, the leader of Pomefiore took a step forward and pointed to the door, his face red and with some blonde locks falling from his hairstyle irritating him even more. He dripped snake venom into every word he said, but when has a dragon died from snake venom?

“It is very bold to challenge the Prince of the Valley of Thorns, Schothein.” Stepping forward and coming directly face to face with Vil, he laughed elegantly with mischief in every note- "Don't worry, I won't spend any more time with you, I'll just hand you a gift."

With all the doors and windows closed, Malleus raises his hand and a green smoke with sharp thorns invades the Film Club, and with a simple look thorns wrap around Schoith bringing him close and totally paralyzed, the heir's malicious laugh grows ever louder. But before he recites a macabre ancient magic, in a language that not even Vil himself understood, Malleus's power was clear, shining in an electric green, with his scepter firing across the entire environment. When he finished his rush, Malleus passed his cloak over Vil's body, which was still frozen on the ground.

“You won't be able to talk to anyone about your curse. Send my regards to Yuu.” That said, he just left the club with a Machiavellian glint in his eyes.

As soon as the door closed, Vil managed to release the air he didn't know he was holding, the smoke and thorns were breaking apart and erasing the tracks as if they had never happened. When trying to get up, Vil realized how weak his beautiful and athletic body was but it was when his knee creaked that even standing up he was paralyzed. He looked at his shaking hands, recognizing the familiar hands with veins and wrinkles looking like an old, colorless raisin.

“No…no…not again!”

He ran to the mirror of a nearby dressing room, and his ugliness was so great that he broke the mirror. A fairy's gift is a dubious thing, but coming from Malleus, Vil can confirm his greatest fears in the mirror: He was old and magicless.

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ Every like, repost and comment is very welcome and appreciated. ♥

Want to see more? See the masterlist <3

[strongheartneteyam]

Realize where you belong.

Pairing: neteyam sully x female!human!reader/female!dreamwalker!reader

Chapter 7

CW: a good amount of angst, reader finally is letting neteyam in and realizing how she does truly love him too, physical contact, neteyam suffering while holding back from mating w/ reader, mentions of sex, yearning, sexual language, reader and neteyam acting like a cute couple, playful flirting, reader is more vulnerable with neteyam, a lot of fluff, reader feels guilty about the way she's been treating neteyam. Tell me if I'm missing something important!

Sorry for taking long to update, my angels 🥺🤍 unfortunately I'm going through a tough path in my personal life rn and bc of that I fell on a horrible depressive episode that I'm still on. So, my motivation to do stuff is very low at the moment and as I have to deal with my adult responsibilities that I can't run from bc nobody can, rn the best I'm able to do is focus the tiny bit of energy I have onto getting them done. I won't be able to update my fanfics as fast as I used to for some time. Can't say how long, it's not under my control currently, sorry :( But I LOVE writing, it's a great escape for me, from life problems and stuff, so, I really do not plan on stop writing fanfiction. I promise! Don't worry too much. Some of the upcoming chapters of this fanfiction, for example, are already saved on my Google Docs. I'll take longer but I won't stop updating. Anyway, I'm a tiny bit (ok maybe much more than that lol) insecure about this chapter but I hope y'all like it. Seeing your comments about the fic would make me incredibly happy. I'm needing some serotonin right now 🥲 Thanks for reading my writings ♡

Not proofread. Sorry if some parts are a bit messed up. I'll proofread it as soon as I can <3

Chapter 6

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

You gave me roses and I left them there to die

So this is me swallowin' my pride

Standin' in front of you sayin' I'm sorry for that night

(...)

It turns out freedom ain't nothin' but missin' you

Back to December (Taylor Swift)

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

You inclined yourself slowly and sheepishly in Neteyam's direction, still feeling guilty for the way you had been treating him before. Neteyam sensed your self doubt and quickly swept you off your feet, taking you inside his arms, so he could finally get the hug he had been dying for, so he could finally feel your small body against his bigger one. His big hands were now under your thighs, securing you in place against his warm body. That closeness, his touch… it all felt incredibly good. You cursed yourself for pushing him away and postponing that moment. To think you could have felt that before and you didn't… "Stupid girl" you thought.

You were now really far from the ground but you felt safe. Now you knew Neteyam would always protect you. He would not let you fall and get hurt. He was not and had never been a threat to you. There was not and there never was any reason for you to be afraid of him.

"Oeyä yawne…" (my beloved) "You feel so soft and tiny… Eywa… Nga yawne lu oer" (I love you) His voice was choked with emotion as he held back tears of joy while he hugged you as tight as he was able to - without hurting you - and you rested your head upon his shoulder. Your nose was hovering over his neck and you sniffed his skin, smelling his natural, cozy scent. It was intoxicating, drawing you in, making you wanna stay like that forever. 

You breathed in deep and relaxed inside his huge arms that held you for the first time but still strangely felt like home, like you had felt them around you a thousand times already. If you believed in past lives - which you didn't - you'd explain this odd but amazing feeling as you having found your soulmate again, in this current life. There was no fear of Neteyam inside of you anymore. You only yearned for more and more of him, only a burning affection kept your whole being warm, just like his massive body did too.

"There's still something I need to ask of you, if this is gonna work out between us." You said, breaking the hug for a while to look him in the eye

"Say it, yawne."

Neteyam was still so utterly happy that he did not even seem to be shaken by that, which he could have been

"You know why I pushed you away. First of all, finding out an alien double your size has been stalking you is freaking unnerving." You still gazed into his eyes, wanting him to pay attention to your words "Second, you acted like a creep. At least compared to the way human guys act around girls they're interested in. I don't really have any experience dating na'vi boys, you know?" You choked a little as you were trying hard to hold back laughter

"Ouch…" Neteyam playfully pretended to be extremely hurt by your previous statements. He chuckled "In my defense, I'd say my instincts are to blame, not me, exactly." You gave him a death stare, but in a playful manner too "When I saw you, I knew you would be the perfect mate for me and I had to make you mine. Everything about you rubbed me just the right way."

You smiled. He was being silly and so sweet. You just could not resist it.

"By the way, when did you see me for the first time?" 

Neteyam seemed to get shy after that question. You wondered why.

"I fell in love with you while you were in your Avatar body, yawntu. That's when I first saw you." Neteyam looked up at you again, smiling but showing no teeth

"You what?" You questioned him, a bit shocked but you could not bring yourself to be mad at him, though. Imagining him hiding behind trees and up in branches to watch you silently seemed adorable in your eyes, now. 

And yes, you knew it sounded crazy, to find someone who used to literally stalk you adorable, but nobody said that anything that was happening to you right now made any sense. Not even you would try to.

"How did I never notice you were around?" You shook your head in disapproval of your distraction back in the forest.

What if it had been a na'vi who did not trust you a single bit to even let you Dreamwalk freely, without grabbing you by the arm and taking you to the Olo'eyktan and the Tsahìk? Some na'vi hated humans to that point. And, as you always said and always would say, you had a great empathy towards them and could imagine yourself feeling the same way if you were na'vi. You could never bring yourself to judge them as harshly as way too many humans did. You knew they were not the villains of the story. But still, what if that na'vi tried to hurt you? You felt tense at the thought.

Neteyam noticed your uneasiness and tried to calm you.

"Don't worry, yawne. I'm a great warrior. A big part of being a good warrior is being really focused on one's mission and knowing how to get by as unnoticed as possible. So many other humans in their Avatars and even many, many na'vi wouldn't notice me, either."

Neteyam still wanted to call those other humans "demons in false bodies" but he was not going to. He knew it would hurt you and make you feel like he was talking about you too. But he was not. Whenever he had called you "demon", it never meant the same thing as it would mean if he was talking about any other human. But he knew it would be hard for you to understand. So he promised himself that he would never call you "demon" again. After that eclipse night when the both of you were talking in front of your bedroom window, he realized how much it hurt you when he called you that. He hated himself for bringing you pain. And his heart hurt so badly when he thought about the possibility of you pushing him away again. It made him want to hold onto your small, frail body tightly and say "Please, don't leave me! I can't be without you again… Please…"

"If you say so… I still think I should've been more careful, though." You say, still feeling a little nervous and thinking that maybe you had not been the best student when attending to your classes about na'vi behavior and that maybe you didn't pay enough attention to warnings they may have given about being mindful of your surroundings when Dreamwalking 

"I promise it's okay. It was not your fault, yawntu. I'm just good at what I do." His smile clearly showed he was proud of being a good warrior

"Ok, then." You smiled back at him and the both of you laughed a bit.

Suddenly, he stopped smiling and his gaze dropped to your lips, that were not that far from his own lips, if it wasn't for that damn oxygen mask. You felt like he wanted to kiss you. The moment was awkward but in a good way. He could not kiss you with the mask on, so, instead, he smiled at you once again and looked down at the floor, bashful.

You touched his huge, gorgeous face and he looked up at you again "So, about what we were talking about before… Just try to be a little less… upfront about what you feel for me. I mean… sexually. I love that you want me this much because I want you too, Neteyam. A lot, actually. You're… really freaking hot." He smiled, blissful, and his cat-like eyes sparkled as he heard that, his ears perking up. "But you're a bit too much, at times. If you could just tone it down a bit…" Neteyam looked a little ashamed and insecure, so, you rubbed your thumb on his soft skin, to reassure him you still longed for him too "At least while I get used to your na'vi nature, it would be great. Please, try to understand me… It's a whole new world I'm just now discovering. But it doesn't mean I don't love you and don't want you and it doesn't mean you should feel insecure." You smiled gently, showing no teeth. 

Neteyam looked a bit sad again after you finished your sentence and you totally understood why. In his na'vi mind, you were practically rejecting him. That was who he truly was, animalistic and a bit too much to your human standards. He must feel like who he is was not enough or good in your eyes.

"Hey" You cupped his face again "I wanna do something. Just let me take this mask off, first." You wanted to reassure Neteyam of your feelings for him by giving him a kiss.

"Yawne, no! You can't breathe without it. You could die really fast! I'm not gonna let you do it."

"So you don't want a kiss, Neteyam Suli? I thought you'd want it, judging by the way you have been stalking me and by our interaction that night, outside my bedroom's window." You teased him and his face lit up

Neteyam gave you an excited smile. The way his full lips curled up as he quickly pondered about the pros and cons of your offer was so beautiful, almost hypnotizing.

God, you really were in love with that na'vi boy, weren't you? There's no going back now. He's holding your heart in his big, weird but cute, alien hands.

"I guess if we make it quick-"

"Shut up, Neteyam." You interrupted, chuckling playfully "I know you're dying to feel my lips on yours. Just help me take this mask off already." It was a bit hard for you to take the mask off while holding onto his shoulders. You knew he would not let you fall but still you wanted to still feel a bit of control and keep holding onto him too.

Neteyam got surprised by your boldness, since he did not see it coming, and he could only think about how freaking amazing it would feel to finally taste your lips, so, he did as you asked - leaving the mask hanging on your neck by the strap it had - and you rapidly held his big pretty, blue face, brought your lips to his and placed the most tender of kisses there, pressing your mouth against his mouth softly but with so much care, trying to let him feel how much you desired him too. His lips were velvety, warm and so incredibly good to kiss. God, you did not care that you were risking dying from lack of oxygen. You wanted that alien boy so badly.

Neteyam's still tense demeanor soon turned into a calmer one as he kissed you back. His hold on you got tighter as he felt your sweet soft lips on his. He felt so incredibly hungry for you. How could he not be? Your kiss was the most delicious thing he had ever felt in his whole life. You both shared saliva and wet each other's lips with each time your lips parted only slightly and came together again. Your soft skin made him want to squeeze you and never let you go again. Neteyam wanted to cuddle with you, wanted to wrap his tail around your small body in a possessive way to let you know you're his and that he would take care of you, hunt food to feed you and protect you from anything that could ever hurt you.

It was getting harder and harder for him not to lay you on the ground and press his body against your tiny one and make love to you right there but he knew that, thinking rationally, that was not a good idea at all, as the both of you were just outside a laboratory full of humans and you two could easily get caught and be in danger.

Even though Neteyam craved your body insanely, now even more than before, as he was finally feeling you close and tasting your lips, he was trying to take it as slow and gentle as he could because he wanted to respect your limits instead of scaring you away again. He understood you were human and your race acted in a very different way when it came to relationships. He still thought it to be a dumb way to lead things but it was you who was asking him to act differently and he loved you with his whole being. He could not bring himself to say "no" to that request. He knew it would be temporary and you soon would give into the na'vi that lives inside of you when it came to mating too. For you, Neteyam could wait. He knew things would soon change for the better. You were now in his arms, as the two of you kissed. You were no longer afraid of him. That was everything he needed at that moment. Things were already so much better.

Neteyam noticed you were having more and more trouble breathing, so he got worried and quickly put your oxygen mask back on.

You gasped for air and breathed in so much oxygen once you had your mask on that it might have been funny to watch, though Neteyam did not laugh. On the contrary, he seemed way too serious, way too worried about your safety. You wanted him to relax a bit.

"See how much I love you? I risked dying just to give you a kiss." You tried to speak normally but what came out of your mouth was a hoarse whisper instead, as your lungs were still in need of more air. A weak smile was adorning your lips as you struggled but still managed to let out a frail chuckle

"Don't say that, oeyä tawtute, please." Neteyam told you, trying to stay serious but still letting out a chuckle as well

"See the sacrifices I make for you, Neteyam?" You tried to seem mad at him at the beginning, only to start laughing shortly after, now that you finally had enough oxygen in your system to be able to let out an actual laugh, even if it still sounded weaker than your laughing would sound in another situation

He smiled big and teased you "Skxawng." (moron)

"But you love me." You closed your eyes while smiling, full of yourself

"I do." You opened your eyes to look at his face "More than you think, yawntu."

Your heartbeat accelerated intensely and you blushed. Neteyam found your blushed cheeks adorable. He looked at you so intensely, like he was holding the most precious thing in the world in his arms.

Neteyam knew he had just fallen even harder for you now that you both had kissed. He could not wait until he could be alone with you in a safe place and get to explore your body with his hands and kiss you all over. He almost got hard just thinking about that but he tried his hardest to whoosh that away. Neteyam was scared that feeling his bulge would be too much for you at that moment, specially since he knew he was much bigger than the human males you were used to. You might feel uncomfortable because of that difference and the sudden intimate feeling of his hard big cock against you and want to get out of his arms. Neteyam did not want that to happen. He needed you there a bit more, he was not ready to let you stand on your feet yet. And he was so afraid of you not wanting him close anymore, he was so afraid of perhaps ruining what you both had now. It was far too special for him. He could not let his sexual instincts ruin that. The time would come when you would let him in completely, when you would grant him permission to be inside of you and show you how much he craved your pussy, how much you messed with his head and awakened his most intense desires. Until then, he would wait and take baby steps. For you, he was capable of waiting for ages, though he hoped so strongly it would not take long.

༊⁀➷

Taglist:

@kitsunefirewail

@tumblingdevils

@a-blog-name-2003

@xylobee

@nerdybouquetofkittens-blog

@henhouse-horrors

@lala-1516

@xylianasblog

@samistars

@crazy4books1

@explosiongamora

@lik0

@your-girl-mj

@darktyrantwinner

@sereisstuff

@yeosxxx

@die4niyahhh

@iman-lu

@manumanulau

@im-in-a-pansexual-panik

@hana-yuri

@thehoneymushroomhealer

@melllinaa

@annaibansworld

@siriuslysmoking

@avatar4eva

@ellabellabus07

@badbishsblog

@neteyamsmate4life

@c-h-i-l

@criticallybella

@celi-xxmoon

[cruyuu]

Hi!

My thoughts about what I'm about to point out aren't coherent yet but you're the first person I thought of when it came to me

So Yuuji's still missing his left pinky finger after Sukuna changed vessel and RCT can't fix that because that's a piece of Yuuji's soul that was ripped off

And now I'm following the theory that the finger in the last panel is the one that was imbued in Yuuji from birth that he removed himself through his ring finger

And in my brain it's like 'there's some skit bs going on here' and idk if I'm making sense because I'm not sure of where this is going 😅 but with the left ring finger being associated with engagements and weddings getting rind of the last piece of the other's soul through that finger could be akin to throwing away your wedding ring (the divorce era is real) but maybe they've rotten my brain a bit too much

In any case I'm looking forward to any thoughts you have on this chapter (and thank you for reading my ramblings) <3

Hi there anon!

I love your thought process and the fact that you remembered that! It would be extremely fitting (even if far-fetched for those who are not as insane as we are) because they just big sigh. They just have to act like that and be that way lol. I wouldn't put it past our dear author who delivered a lot on sukuita week no less (that is still some crazy coincidence) to again make something about them both. If not the finger, then the soul connection, if not that then something else. Like Gege definitely didn't need to write Yuuji chasing after his inner demon and spending time with him (hell, saying he was frantic and wanting Sukuna to indulge him), especially not when that same demon is someone who continually kept ruining his life and took the very person Yuuji confessed he feels lonely without, but here we are.

I'm waiting for the official chapter to drop so I can really get the whole picture since leaks are just a tiny piece. Shipping aside, I don't know what to make of that panel with Sukuna's finger. jjk is pretty close to ending now and hence, I am skeptical. I really wish for there to be another arc after Shinjuku because it feels very off to me to end everything in like two more chapters. I'm hoping for more because it still feels like there's more left. Maybe I'm just insane and will be missing this manga a lot which is why I'm sensing that, idk.

Divorce arc has never been realer now and it's lowkey slightly painful to me since Yuuji wanted a compromise. What's very fucking funny still is that Yuuji reached out to him, first and foremost, realized he can't affect him (that sad look in his eyes) and then switched back to his usual response. Meanwhile Sukuna's still pretending he doesn't care even though he indulged Yuuji and spent nearly an entire day with him before he finally snapped when he realized Yuuji was sad about him lol. Still, the vehement anger Sukuna feels is keeping me rather well fed because Sukuna has no business being so against Yuuji saving Megumi. Like why?? He had no trouble being patient and even explaining his viewpoint when Yuuji DE-ed them away and talked about himself, but then the second Yuuji mentioned saving Fushiguro, he's shaking with rage and promising to kill everyone Yuuji loves.

Chapter 265 is literally:

yuuji: spend some time with me

sukuna: ok

yuuji: so here's what i realized

sukuna: why are you telling this to me oh my god i don't care like i understand your point but i don't feel anyth—

yuuji: i want to save fushiguro

sukuna: 😡🤬😡🤬😠😠🤬😡🤬😡😠🤬 (that wasn't meant for me?!?!?!?!)

I am also brain rotting hard about everything. 266 fueled my brain and filled it with one-sided sukuita fic ideas which are just peak angst and I live for angst so yeah. I'll have to get to writing soon because I have a lot of ideas for these two (the writers block is keeping me away from that, as is my slightly limited english vocabulary and real life unfortunately).

Thank you for sending this ask, anon, and also thank you for listening to me ramble about these two as well! <3 I'm more than happy to discuss these two for eternity because they just make me insane.

[luvmmarner]

ANDREI SVECHNIKOV - HATE HATE HATE

This was written for @comphy-and-cozy apart of the summer fic exchange! I know it’s really short the next few chapters will have over 7000 words. I was rushing to get everything mapped out and I changed and rechanged so much shit! I restarted 5 times and I restarted like a week ago because nothing made sense, but now I have a whole plot mapped out and everything! There will be 10 chapters so no need to worry! This is more like a prologue! I promise! I decided to make it a readers pov however I’ll post many other povs in the behind the scenes readers name and stuff like that. Hopefully that makes sense! (It’s 1AM help me deal lord)

A big thank you for @wyattjohnston for letting me be apart of this and I’m so so sorry for delaying this for so much days. Holy crap! I promise I’ll get all the chapters out as soon as possible.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Word count: 1K

TW: reader gets drugged (that’s it nothing bad)

It was immediately obvious that you detested him after you had your first encounter with him. You felt frustrated by his arrogant and excessively confident demeanour. You were unable to comprehend how your brother Sebastian Aho initially connected with him. Both of them were interested in different things, with the exception of the fact that they were both on the Carolina Hurricanes and loved to play hockey.

You hated him or did you?

enemies to lovers + brothers best friend

If it wasn’t the sunlight waking you up it was your brother and his loud obnoxious friends over. Today was the same as every other day since their shouts were so loud that they resonated throughout the walls, and the buzzing of your alarm clock didn't help matters either.

“Wake up and come downstairs sleeping beauty” you heard your brother Sebastian call from all the way downstairs. All you could do was groan at the request. You didn't want to get out of bed, nor did you feel like getting out of it. Even if you didn't have to work today, all you intended to do was relax and take it easy.

You decided to listen to the voices downstairs and suddenly recognized a voice that you had never heard before. The voice had an accent that was anything but typical of someone from North America. It was abundantly evident that whoever it was, they were from Europe.

When you had been considering whether or not you should go downstairs, you heard some movement coming up the stairs.You believed it was your brother at first, but when a hand caressed your back, you were taken aback.

The voice asked, "What are you doing in the middle of the hallway, young one," as his touch was still lingering before it finally moved away from you.

"First of all, I'm not young, and second of all, who are you?" You shot back your response using the most condescending tone you were capable of producing.

"My name is Andrei. And yours? Actually you don’t need to say I already know it and regardless I’m just going to call you young one." When he had finally turned around to face you, he inquired.

There was no denying the fact that he had a stunning appearance. It was obvious that he was much taller than you, and his perfume smelled like a combination of apple cider and pumpkins. His accent did not help matters either; it just added to the hotness of him.

“Don’t call me that ever again." You responded back, clearly irritated by the way he called you young one. You weren’t young by any means and just because you lived with your brother doesn’t mean you were.

“Cool well I could careless what you have to say by the way your brother asked for you to come downstairs. I'll see you down there once you decide to stop staring at me.” Andrei said in a cocky voice which just made you even more irritated and mad. Who does he think he is calling you out like that.

“I wasn’t staring” You told him as he chuckled and turn away down the stairs. You heard him say “Sure sure sure.” Before his voice disappeared alongside many other voices in the house.

Your brother yelled at you as you made your way downstairs, telling you to come sit down and introduce yourself to the others.

“Come here and introduce yourself, these are my friends I train with.” It was said by your brother Sebastian.

You responded to the request by rolling your eyes.

You sat down on the sofa immediately crossing your legs and staring at the guy in front of you. The guy I you just had an interaction with the guy who called you “young one”

She shouldn't be sitting with us, she can't be more than 5 or something," Andrei said. Inquiring while casting a sideways glance at your brother, Sebastian then joined the others in what appeared to be a simultaneous fit of laughter.

You had no choice but to hurry back to your room because there was nothing else you could do. You weren’t going to sit there as he kept making fun of you/ if one thing wasn’t obvious is that you had a strong dislike for him.

It was unlike any other typical day that had come before. You happened to be invited to join the girls as they headed out to the club to celebrate Brianna's engagement.

You and your friends came to the conclusion that the best way to celebrate would be to first go to a pub and then go home.

You had a difficult time choosing between the dresses, but in the end, you went with the glittering silver dress that was covered with beads all over it and was only slightly shorter than the others.

You didn't give a second thought to whether or not it would be a good idea to wear it, particularly given the fact that you were a female in the company of a large number of other females; nonetheless, since you didn't even give it a second thought, you simply slipped it on and joined the girls in the car.

As soon as you arrived at the club and were able to enter, you made your way straight to the bar and placed an order with the bartender for several alcoholic beverages. You acknowledged their kindness and then turned to look for your friends, but on the way, you were unlucky enough to run into someone.

Their hands grasped your waist to prevent you from falling to the ground. Once you made it to your feet their hand didn’t leave yours.

“Woah watch where you're going young one.” The voice said. You didn’t even need to think twice who it was. You knew it was Andrei. The cocky European voice was a clear indicator.

“Are you following me or something? Are you obsessed?” You said as irritation ran through your veins. You detested his arrogant grin as well as how he spoke with utmost cockiness you’ve ever heard before.

He paid you no mind, instead emitting nothing more than a muffled murmur as he drank from his glass. You made the decision that you weren't going to let that dampen your spirits, and instead you were going to have the best night it was even possible for you to have. You set your drink down and proceeded straight to the dance floor after doing so.

You danced for a few minutes, then went back to your drink to have a few more sips of it before joining your friends for some more dancing.

You were immediately overcome with feelings of lightheadedness and dizziness upon dancing for quite some time, it was to the point where you found it difficult to stand. Your vision suddenly went black and you were sure that someone had caught you before it became completely dark.

…

[tawnfawn]

ugh i'm going feral over this new ghost fic im writing. it's light enemies to lovers bc reader is constantly teasing ghost and he fucking hates it!!! it's a whole slow burn you guys. if u wanna see here's a snippet from one of the earlier chapters bc asdjkdskl;slg i love simon riley:

“What are you laughing about?” Ghost grumbled.

“Thinking about how I left my jacket inside,” you answered. “And wondering why it’s cold in fucking March.”

“You need it?” he asked gruffly.

“Nah, I’m good,” you said. You had found comfort in this space between him and the piss puddle, and you weren’t ready to give that up yet. “Tequila’s warming me up just fine.”

Ghost’s eyes swept over your huddled form. He gave you a skeptical look; clearly, you had not fooled him. Silently, he pulled off his black puffer and practically threw it at you. It hit you square in the chest, and you yelped in surprise. You looked up at him in shock as it slid into your lap, but he was staring straight ahead, refusing to meet your eyes.

For a moment, you hesitated, considering giving it back, but the goosebumps on your arms screamed in protest. You handed him the cigarette before slipping on his jacket, relishing the newfound warmth it granted you. You zipped it up with a little struggle—due to it being his jacket, it was much larger than suitable. The sleeves extended well past your hands, but you didn’t mind—it kept you warm. “Thanks,” you said quietly.

He grunted in response, still looking away. You watched as he took another puff of the cigarette, out of your view. “Yeah?” He scowled, but you could hear a bit of a flush in his voice. “What are you starin’ at me for?”

“Nothing,” you answered, but a smile tugged at the corners of your mouth. “Just weird that you’re being so nice to me, that’s all.”

Evidently not knowing what to say, he just grunted. After a long period of silence, he muttered, “Thought you might’ve needed it.”

i'm so down bad!! i promise i'll start posting it soon i just need it to be perfect

[annawayne]

Annaaaaaaaaaaaaaa T^T I hope you're doing alright today! Did you bake anything new recently!

For the writer's ask btw: 1, 4, 5, 8, 12, 14, 15, 23, 27 :3

Do it, tell me all about it! And I hope you have a great week :3 Thank you for blessing us with all your beautiful art and love T^T

Moon, hello (⁠｡⁠･⁠ω⁠･⁠｡⁠)⁠ﾉ⁠♡

Thank you a lot for asking, and OH MY, that's a lot, but don't get me wrong, I appreciate your interest a lot T^T

Let me first tell you about baking: I baked only the plum pie recently, and it's already gone... But I plan to bake pumpkin muffins with orange cream soon :3

As for the questions:

1 - the last sentence you wrote

I've already answered this one a bit earlier here, but as I got around to answer your question, here's another sentences that I actually wrote the last one:

"I wonder, why can’t we notice… until we’ve lost it already?"

👀

4 - a story idea you haven’t written yet

Oh, I have this one story idea in my mind, based on this one art...

Can't say much without spoilering , but this story has some angsty development. Like, very angsty.

Other than this, it's also a story about how AruAni met and fell in love, so some kind of strangers to lovers, with a lot of immediate attraction and interest, all set in Switzerland, 1911.

The caption in the original post - "It was the love at first sight" - is a leitmotif of this whole story.

I've been thinking about it while working on this drawing, and I didn't consider writing it, but the more time passes - the more I think that, eventually, I'll write it...

5 - first sentence of the fifth paragraph of an unpublished WIP

Uhm... Well, I think, the chapter 10 of MYLYSW counts for now, yes? If yes, so here we are:

"How to breathe without feeling the burden of the mission to be fulfilled; how to sleep without all the images of the world through the eyes of others; how to say a word without feeling obliged to remember a promise to come back; how to look at the sun and see in it the beauty of another day borning out of the velvet darkness of the night into the golden sunrise, and not to cross out another twenty-four hours out of one hundred and thirteen thousand nine hundred fifty-five hours of defined expiration of her."

Me and my damn love for the long sentences...

8 - if you had to write a sequel to a fic, you’d write one for…

Oh, good question! I don't really have a lot of fics, but I think I would love to write for Neverland of (Our) Desires, the Fort Salta oneshot-sequel, where AruAni are caught in feelings and have an awkward-silly conversation about their boat *adventure*, with all these emotions and feelings of having the life ahead of them and not knowing what to do with it... Oh well, oh well, such a potential 🤌

12 - a trope you’re really into right now

Hm... Honestly, I've been into Forbidden Love or Star-crossed Lovers tropes recently...

It's quite canonical AruAni, to be honest, and I just love to think about it in different AUs and canon-compliant too, so yes, I would say these ones! And here a remark, that Forbidden Love/Star-crossed Lovers don't mean that it's a tragic ending - more like obstacles and a lot of angst, which challenge the characters and their love, and how it all develops within the plot.

14 - where do you get your inspiration?

You know, I thought I had a proper answer for it, but when I started typing it, I realized, that, in fact, I don't.

If I'm totally honest - I don't think I even have something special as "inspiration". I have ideas that pop up in my mind on their own, and then, I turn them into story or a moment in the fic, but I never particularly searched for it. I suppose, it's also a consequence of my constant art and literature involving, where I read/observe/study something, so I have this almost never-stopping source of new experience and knowledge, which leads to ideas and inspiration to create my own stories/drawings.

So, I think that my inspiration is constant studying and sources of knowledge.

15 - favorite weather for writing

Answered here :3

23 - pick three keywords that describe your writing

Moon, what a question *sigh*... Let's say:

evocative, raw and poetic

I thought of what to answer you on this particular question because it's a bit difficult for me to evaluate my own writing style, but I also remembered the words I received about it (including your wonderful feedback), and I guess, it helped me to pick these particular keywords.

27 - your favorite part of the writing process

Answered here, too :3

Thank you a lot for your interest and support, Moon, I wish you all the best and take care🖤

[bratbby333]

. . . ⇢ ˗ˏˋ [ blog update ! ] ࿐ྂ

+ some housekeeping and info on new writing

hello my loves !! i wanted to give y'all some insight on what's been going on in my mind palace lately. there's a lot...so...cmon, take a walk w me...and maybe bring some snacks.

ੈ♡˳ first and foremost ! my work has received a lot more attention recently and i am so excited. with actual tears in my eyes, im happy to report that i surpassed 1,000 followers the other day. i am at a loss for words...just...stuck in a perma-state of disbelief.

im sending out the biggest thank you to everyone who has supported me, who's interacted with my work, to the lovely friends ive made though this account and to the heartbreakingly beautiful anime that brought me here in the first place. i am genuinely in awe...overwhelmed, even...i didn't expect any of this to happen when i started this blog and i am forever indebted to all of you for getting me here. im actively fighting off the inevitable surge of imposter syndrome as i type this out...i just love y'all so fucking much. this community means the world to me and i wanna scream at the top of my lungs in order to demonstrate my deepest appreciation for each and every one of y'all.

ੈ♡˳ secondly ! a message for my little angel babies, my day one followers; thank you for taking a chance on me. for watching me grow. for sticking around as i worked to get better at writing. im sure a lot of you started following me for my gamer!bf sukuna series...trust me, i love him and i know y'all do too. but i feel like my writing is heading in a different direction...and with a heavy heart, i'm absolutely gutted when i say that i am taking a pause on that series. i am forever grateful for the support and may return to him soon, though i cannot promise that. i owe so much of what my account is now to that series and i will never forget that.

for everyone who joined me as i delved into dark/dead dove content, thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing me a safe space to explore different forms of story-telling. my choso fic was the first stepping stone and then i skipped every other stone on the path and jumped head first into the deep end with my dead dove gojo fic...i deeply appreciate all the positive feedback i received on both of those. after posting them, i realized that i am very into writing dark content. i know that taboo themes/dark content/dead dove subject matter isn't for everyone and i understand people's apprehension in regards to it. but with that being said, i will be moving forward with publishing darker content.

ੈ♡˳ so here's the writing update !

i did a poll asking y'all what kind of content you enjoy. a good chunk of people said long form fics (which is great, cause i do too !! mommy needs plot). so, i am migrating away from one shot writing. both because i've been thinking about it for awhile and because y'all are into longer stories, as well. but fear not, i will still write shorter stuff along with headcannons, drabbles, etc...it just won't be the main focus of my blog anymore.

ੈ♡˳ now, time for the big reveal ! perhaps it's a bit anticlimactic, but bear with me...

im so excited to announce that i have two new series coming ! it will be a dark, modern!au featuring choso (with a few other special guests) and a dead dove sukuna series.

i'm almost finished with the outlines, and have fully completed the theme layout + mood boards for both works. i hope to get the first few chapters wrapped up in the next couple weeks. if you want to be tagged in either of these (or both), just leave a comment or send me a message !

(also !! i may or may not be cooking up a dark medieval au series in collaboration with another writer on here...so be on the lookout for that hehe)

while i take breaks from writing my two series, i'll be working through my requests ! so if you've sent one in, i promise i will get to it, unless i literally cannot think of a good way to write it (im only human, im so sorry). also, im sure we already knew this, but im a slowww writer. i wish i could churn content out quick as fuck but i am too hypercritical of myself…it's both a blessing and a curse, honestly.

if you made it all the way to the end of this nightmare of a brain dump, i love you. if you've been with me for a while, i love you. if you're just now joining me, i love you. everyone who’s supported me in any way, shape, or form, i love you.

i present you with the sloppiest kiss with tongue (only if you want it, of course. i can also give you the tightest hug, the gentlest head pat, or my social security number...access to all my bank accounts? a mansion in the hills? my passport? hand in marriage? my first born child? literally whatever you want, babe).

okay !! i think that's all for the updates. feeling: very ambitious and motivated but also overwhelmed and mildly stressed but overall super excited for what's to come. im looking forward to this new adventure and i hope y'all come along with me ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚

thank you again…for literally everything. yall hold a special place in my heart and always will. so, here we go !

see you on the other side, my loves.

— jade 𓆩ᥫ᭡𓆪

[blue-slxt]

It Was Supposed To Be Us - Chapter 1

A/N: So Neteyam's fic won the poll and I'm so excited to start this new journey with you guys! The plan is to release each new part weekly. So this series will update every Monday. If that changes for any reason, I'll update you guys about it. For now, I hope you all enjoy this intro chapter.

Next Part

Pairing: Neteyam x Fem!Omatikaya!Reader

Warnings: Mentions of depression? Mentions of bullying, arranged marriage, that's it for this part.

Word Count: 2.8k

Summary: You and Neteyam are childhood friends. You got to be so close that the two of you promise to be mates when you're older. But when the Sully family has to leave the forest, you wait for him to return and fulfill his promise to you.

“Why are you crying?” a small voice snuck up behind you. The sound of your own sobs drowned out the footsteps approaching you. Your knees pressed to your chest and your head hidden in your arms, the tears seem to be never ending. A young boy around your age comes over next to you. He squats beside you and takes in your sorry form. “Hey”, he reaches out a hand to touch your shoulder, but you flinch away from him. “I’m Neteyam.”

You sniffle and look him up and down being cautious of the interaction. You recognized him finally as the Olo’eyktan’s son. “Can I ask why you are crying?”

Why did he care? He didn’t know you.

“Some kids were making fun of me for being short.” It was a regular occurrence. You stood almost a whole foot smaller than what was average for your age and you never heard the end of it. Kids were cruel. But you had never spoken with Neteyam. If you were being honest, you were just waiting for this whole interaction to go south.

“Well, that sounds stupid.” He says knitting his brows together in confusion.

You focus your gaze ahead and sink into yourself. “It doesn’t matter. It happens every day.”

“Well, next time, just come find me and I’ll make them stop. I’m a warrior after all.” He puffs out his chest and holds his head high grinning down at you. He was beaming with confidence. The complete opposite of you.

You wipe away your tears and look at him in wonder. Nobody had ever offered to take care of you before.

“Hey, you stopped crying! Here.” He fiddles with some of the items around his waist and pulls out a woven piece of cloth. He scoots closer to you and you don’t shy away from him this time. Neteyam holds your shoulder to steady you while he uses the cloth to clean your face.

He’s a little sloppy and rough, but you’re thankful for the gesture all the same.

“Come on, I’ll show you how to shoot an arrow.” Before you can protest, he already has a hold on your wrist and is pulling you along.

This feeling was something totally new to you. No one had ever treated you so kindly before. Especially not another kid. He took care of you. He was nice to you. He didn’t tease you even though his frame towered over yours. Instead, he opted to use his stature to protect you. And he did just that.

Before long, you and Neteyam were joined at the hip. It was like he was your shadow. Kids tried picking on you again, but Neteyam was always there to fend them off and nobody dared to mess with him. Soon, they left you alone too. He quickly became your favorite person. Your safety.

With you two being so close, Neteyam’s parents would often joke about you both mating when you got older.

“What happens when you mate with someone?” You innocently blink up at Neteyam’s father. Neteyam cocked his head to the side wondering too and waiting for an answer.

His dad was clearly flustered and attempted to come up with a suitable answer. “W-well, when you mate with somebody, you love them so much that you promise to be together for the rest of your lives.”

Your ears perk up and a big smile crosses your face “Oh! Well, then I definitely wanna mate with Neteyam!” your small tail swishing excitedly behind you. Your tail often gave away however you were feeling. You look over at Neteyam and his smile mirrors yours. “Let’s promise to be mates when we’re older!”

Neytiri smiles warmly from across the room finding your relationship endearing.

“Promise.” Neteyam smiles at you.

Everything was much simpler then. You were just children. Children with big dreams. And over time, you got bigger and your feelings grew with you. You always had a deep admiration for Neteyam since you first met him. He was strong and confident and loyal and charming. You always wanted to be at his side. He radiated a joy that was infectious. You were never unhappy with him. Even on your worst days, he always managed to brighten your mood. And as you got older, you felt the stirrings of something deeper. The connection you shared was undeniable, but this was something different from what you were used to. It was like it was the beginnings of love blooming in your chest.

When he talked, his voice felt like velvet against your ears. And when he touched you, it made your breath hitch in your throat. And his smile…Eywa, that smile, you just wanted to melt.

But, of course, you could never tell him this. There was no way you were going to risk your friendship over this. If he didn’t feel the same way? If you couldn’t be at his side anymore? Your whole world would crumble and you could not bear that. So you choose to pine after him in secret and stay by his side as his person. You would even go help Mo’at in her tent with Kiri so that you could help patch Neteyam up after missions when he would get hurt.

You would both still say that you were going to be mates when you grew up, but you knew the chances of that actually happening was slim. He would likely find a pretty girl to love him and bear his children and lead the clan with him. The thought of it made your heart ache, but this was the way things were and you had to accept it.

Everything went out the window when the sky people returned. The Sullys were leaving. Neteyam was leaving. Your person, your love, the one you had promised yourself to. Your heart shattered.

This can’t be real. It can’t be. It’s too cruel.

You spiraled down further and further into a darker place in your heart. You couldn’t find the strength to drag yourself out of your hammock half the days. There was no appetite to be found and smiling was nothing but a distant memory now. The only time you emerged from your home was to carry yourself to the spot in the forest where you first met Neteyam so that you could cry your heart out in peace. Today was no different. Your feet carried you through the dense forest, retracing the same path you took day in and day out. This time, Neteyam beat you there.

You slowly approach him and, to your surprise, it looks like he came for the same reason as you. His face was covered in tears when he looked up at you and your expression was the exact same. You both sat in silence with each other for what felt like hours. Neither of you knew what else there was to say. Both so fragile that words could shatter what sliver of control was holding you together right now. But you couldn’t stand it if your last day together was spent in silence. There was still so much you wanted to say to him and things you wanted to experience with him.

“It’s tomorrow, isn’t it?” your soft voice croaked out.

Neteyam could only nod, afraid of what sound may leave his lips if he tries to speak.

Your hand creeps over to cover his making him finally look you in the eye. “I’m gonna miss you.” You try to muster a smile, but your lips falter and tears flood your eyes again. He could feel your sorrow. And suddenly, you looked just like that sad little girl again that he found in the woods all those years ago. It was like torture.

His hand comes up to find your face and stroke your cheek. You relish in the feeling for as long as you can. You try to memorize every detail of this moment. As heart-wrenching as it was, it was still so beautiful. He was so beautiful. “Promise you won’t forget me?” you try to lighten the mood feeling the increasing weight on your chest.

“Oh, ma girl, there is no way I could ever” he presses his forehead against yours and you two share a breath, “I will always be yours.”

His words bring you a small comfort, but not enough to crowd out the pain. His arm comes around your waist to scoot you in closer to him. Your bodies press together and you rest your head on his shoulder. Holding each other, you both let your tears free flow, feeling that same familiar safety with each other one last time.

Getting lost in your thoughts, you almost don’t notice when Neteyam cups your face and makes you look at him. The eye contact is intense. Millions of unspoken feelings behind it. He slowly leans in and closes the gap between you capturing your lips in a tender kiss. Your first kiss. It’s timid and sweet, but it makes you feel like fire. His lips are warm and inviting. It’s everything you’ve always dreamed of and it’s on a day that you wished never had to be. A cruel irony. Your first kiss on your last day together.

When he pulls away, he gazes at you with all the love of the last 8 years you’ve spent together. “I’ll be back for you as soon as I can. Once it’s safe, I’ll come for you.”

You give him a sad smile, but nod your head. You know Neteyam always keeps his word when it comes to you so this time should be no different. If he says he’ll come back for you, then he will.

…

Everyone gathered early the next day to see the Sully family off. Jake passed the title of Olo’eyktan to Tarsem. He was well-liked and respected by the clan. He would be a good leader. But you still couldn’t help the ache you felt. The family made their way through the crowd to head towards their ikrans. As he walked past you, Neteyam’s eyes met yours for the last time and he held his gaze on you for as long as he could. You offer him a small wave seeing him disappear off into the crowd. And you feel a piece of yourself disappear with him.

‘He’ll be back. He will be.’

The following days seemed to all blur together. Nothing was the same. The sun didn’t seem to shine as bright and the air was harder to breathe. It was like a never-ending nightmare having to learn how to be without Neteyam again. Life before him didn’t feel real anymore. A long-forgotten, miserable existence. This was the smallest you’ve ever felt. You never thought you’d be back in that place again. Never thought you’d be without him again. And yet, here you were. You still drew breath and your heart still beat and the world around you continued to go on.

Your parents concern for you grew in the passing weeks. The change in you was clear enough to see from the other side of the planet. They would bring you food and water that you could only manage a few bites of at any given time. They prayed to Eywa to heal your broken heart, but it seemed that it was of no use.

The weeks dragged on into months and the months into years. Before you knew it, it had been 2 years since he left. The pain never got any lighter, but you grew better at handling it. At times when you felt your grief would overcome you, you would remind yourself that he was coming back. He was. People would look at you full of pity whenever you mentioned Neteyam coming back. Believing you were just desperately clinging to a childhood fantasy. The people pitied you and so did your parents. They knew how attached you were to Neteyam, but they were worried about your refusal to accept life without him.

It was going to be time for you to start thinking about finding a mate soon. Whenever your parents would bring up the subject, you would hear nothing of it. You had already chosen your mate and he had chosen you. You just had to have patience. Denying any suitor that came your way, your parents’ concern grew with each passing year. They feared for your future. They didn’t want you to spend the rest of your days waiting for someone that wasn’t coming back.

They would try and try and try to convince you to give other men a chance. Even going so far as to try and set you up with sons of their friends. It was of no use, none of them compared to Neteyam in your eyes.

Soon, 2 more years had passed. You were now 19 and still without a mate. As far as the people were concerned, you were in your prime. This is the time where everyone is starting to choose their mate. And you were still unwilling to take anyone else. That didn’t stop your parents, though. The other day, they sat you down to inform you that they had taken it upon themselves to arrange a mate for you. Since you had refused to take a mate on your own, they picked someone for you. His name is Ralu. He’s tall and mild mannered and a good hunter. He wasn’t a bad choice. He just wasn’t Neteyam.

You did your best to hold your composure when they introduced you. He smiled when he greeted you and was polite to your parents. It made you feel bad. He seemed nice and you wanted to want this, but you couldn’t bring yourself to forget who your heart actually yearned for.

You found yourself back at your usual spot in the woods. The spot where it all began. Every now and then, you would half expect to see Neteyam sitting there carving or sharpening his knife. It was like your heart would forget for just a moment. But when you came into the clearing and saw the empty spot, you would remember. And the remembering was a whole new injury to your already battered heart.

Lying in the grass, you stare up at the sky and watch the ikrans fly overhead. The trees swayed and the wildlife chirped around you. It was like every sensation scrubbed your mind clear of your messy thoughts. Would you really have to live the rest of your days like this? With a man that was wonderful in every respect, but you didn’t love? Your parents had already promised you to him. You awoke every day wondering if it would be today. The day that Neteyam promised you would come. When he would finally come and you could be together again. You willed it with every fiber of your being. A sound abruptly snaps you out of your daze. The sound of horns in the distance and cheering. What was all the commotion?

You follow the sound of the crowd and you can sense the intensity through the lush of the forest. It grows with every step closer. You finally catch up to the gathering crowd and do your best to push through all the taller bodies to get a clear view of what was going on. Cheers and murmurs of ‘toruk makto’ ring through the crowd. Toruk makto? Jake? It couldn’t be.

Ikrans land at the front of the growing crowd and you feel your stomach jump up into your throat. It was the Sully family.

Cheers erupt through the crowd as the family lands and you weave through everyone to make it to the front. They’re back. That means that he’s back. He came back for you just like he said he would. You stumble through, but it doesn’t slow your pace.

You break out of the crowd to the front and watch as the family dismounts their ikrans. They’re all visibly older. Your eyes roll over each one of them looking for him. Your eyes meet Kiri’s and she smiles at you. As much as she wants to run and hug you, she knows who you’re really looking for. She places her hand on the shoulder of the much taller boy next to her and he turns around. It’s Neteyam. He looks in your direction and it feels like your chest is going to burst open at this very moment. His eyes soften and light up at the sight of you. You both may have gotten older and changed, but there’s no mistaking that smile. You’d know it anywhere. It’s the one thing that’s made you genuinely smile in years.

He takes off running full speed towards you. He scoops you up and twirls you around in a tight embrace. You hold onto him like he’s still not real. You don’t want to let go out of fear that he’ll disappear again if you do.

He sets you down on your feet and looks at you with tears welling in his eyes. Your eyes start to sting with all the emotion of the last 4 lonely years.

“You came back.”

“I told you I would.”

[dcficrecs]

I'm A Good Pretender - Chapter 2: I Got Lots Of Problems

By shipNslash on AO3

My last post was an excerpt from the first chapter of this fic. I've finished it now and I like most of it, but there's something in Chapter 2 that I just have to talk about. This whole fic is a Robin origin story. It has seven chapters, so it drawfs in comparison to the 'Firework' fic by paganpunk2 on fanfiction.net (I posted about that too, maybe my favorite fanfic ever). Still, I really like it. It's written with excerpts from days. It starts with day zero, where Dick's parents are killed and Bruce comforts him. Day one is him meeting Alfred at the orphanage, and it goes all the way to day 262, where Commissioner Gordon meets Robin.

Anyway, in this particular excerpt, Dick is scheming to sneak out of Wayne Manor and kill Tony Zucco himself, and has to guilt trip Bruce in order to be alone long enough to escape even though he feels bad about it. He likes Bruce, but he isn't quite a father figure to him, yet. Dick has inherited Bruce's old bedroom, something very sentimental to Bruce. The excerpt starts with Bruce giving a tour of his old room. Bruce also gave Dick a note, saying to ring the service bell when he wakes up. He does, and it calls Bruce to his room. Dick keeps the note in his pocket. Also, a slight trigger warning for mentions of sexual abuse against a child.

So Bruce awkwardly shows Dick around the cavernous bedroom. The dresser is full of generic clothes in his size and Bruce promises they can get his stuff from their trailer later today and go shopping soon for anything he's missing. He shows him how to work the computer at the desk and the TV on the wall, and even points towards the staff lift at the end of the hallway that will take him directly to the kitchen. The bathroom is in the bedroom and almost as huge, with a sink and toilet and a big shower/bathtub combo already filled with a bunch of different soaps.

"I wasn't sure what you'd need," Bruce mumbles when Dick comments on the variety. "We have different hair types."

That's…surprisingly thoughtful, Dick thinks, and Bruce's folded note feels like it's burning a hole in his pocket.

He ignores the guilt and smiles. "Thanks, Bruce. I appreciate it."

"I want you to be comfortable here," Bruce whispers back, even quieter than normal.

Dick pushes the guilt down, down, down. Now is as good a time as any and Bruce is already uncomfortable. Now if Dick can just get him to leave…

(Never talk about sex, Mama always says, grown ups hate when kids even mention sex.)

"What about rules?" Dick asks, pitching his voice a little higher and widening his already big eyes just a little bit bigger. "One of the older boys at the detention center said rich people only foster kids to warm their beds. I don't know what that means, but I'll try, if you teach me."

And bingo.

Bruce's pale skin goes practically gray and he flinches back until he's outside of the bathroom. "That- No, I- You won't ever-"

"Did I say something wrong?" Dick asks, adding in a small sniffle and not letting up on the eye contact. (He's already learned that Bruce Wayne hates eye contact.)

The man is still backpedaling, now well to the hallway. "No! No. I'll… see you at breakfast." When he steps out of the room, his shoulders sag. "Kitchen. Eight." And then he's gone, latching the door shut behind him.

Dick sighs and flops against the bed. That was almost too easy. He feels… kinda bad.

Still. Eight o’clock. That's just over three hours, according to the clock on the wall.

"Alright," he mumbles to himself and carefully rocks to his feet. "Like Mama says, make a list."

So, he does.

Stretch my poor, atrophying muscles

Shower off the scent of the detention center

Find out where Haly's went

Sneak out

Catch and murder Tony Zucco

Run away to (re)join the circus 

There, that doesn't seem hard now that he's made a list- Mama's always right.

Something about "I don't know what that means, but I'll try if you teach me," is literally so well written. Obviously, gross, but Dick using something that makes Bruce obviously uncomfortable to his advantage against Bruce is so Dick coded. Dick absolutely knew what it meant and purposefully used it to horrify Bruce. Guilt tripping Bruce Wayne is so easy, as long as you're Dick Grayson. He's a little gremlin and I love it. Also, the list he makes is adorable, literally went from zero to a hundred real quick.

[futuremrsdrcullen]

This Love Came Back To Me - Preface

Here it is! Almost!! This is the Preface to the Eclipse Reader insert fic that I again, have been promising for far far too long. The rest of the chapters will be up, hopefully soon.

Summery- I was completely overwhelmed with this looming dread. This wasn’t just about Bella anymore. Though that was bad enough, this involved me now. Despite how often Edward disregarded my safety and despite how desperately Carlisle tried to protect me from this;

My life was in danger.

It was never going to end was it?

Word Count- 3207

Warning- Uhhh this is just the preface. There really aren't any warnings yet. But I'll let you know.

Notes from me- My name is Claire and September 3rd is my birthday! I wanted very much to post, at the very least this part today. SO! I finished writing the whole book. I still have a lot of typing and editing to do but I do have a very close date set. This is only the Preface. I can't wait for you guys to see the rest.

This is the 3rd book of probably 5, So follow for updates.

As always, I DO NOT own The Twilight Saga. All rights go directly to S. Meyer.

Read on AO3 <3

Masterlist <3

I love you <3 Thank you for still being here <3

When Carlisle surprised me with a trip to Ireland, I didn’t know what to expect exactly. I got to his house on a clear afternoon and he wasn’t in his usual spot by the door to greet me. In his place were four fully packed suitcases.

“Carlisle?” I didn’t have to yell, I knew he heard me, and yet, no answer came. I moved to study the suitcases. I read his name and address on one tag and my name and his address on the other. In the front pocket were our passports, though I couldn’t recall ever getting a passport made. With a soft laugh, I asked just loud enough that I knew he could hear me, “Carlisle, what is all of this?”

And then his arms were around my waist. I felt his cool breath on the crook of my neck, and could hear the smile in his voice as he whispered “You said you want to see the world. I promised I would show you.” He placed delicate kisses to my pulse point as I looked inside the passport. 

All of the information was mine, the photo was from my ID photo. Even knowing that this wasn’t made entirely legally, I still turned to him and couldn’t help but smile when I saw the grin on his own lips. His hands turned with me and rested on my hips.

“I didn’t mean we had to go right now. How…? How did you do all of this?”

His smile didn’t falter, “Do you really want to know?”

“No…, But-”

He laughed. “Alice packed the bags. I… handled the rest of it.”

“I won’t ask you to elaborate. My dad is the sheriff, so it's probably better that I don’t know about the broken laws.” I draped my arms over his shoulders and ran my fingers through his hair. “Where are we going?”

He grinned again. I would do absolutely anything he wanted when he smiled at me like that. “I haven’t paid for anything, yet, but I was thinking we could go to Ireland. I’ve got some friends there I haven’t seen in a while. I would love to introduce you, but-”

“They wouldn't approve.” It came out so casually. I knew very well that there were few vampires who abstained from human blood the way his family managed, and even fewer who kept in human company. I was hardly fazed. 

He nodded, “They’d make an attempt, but they do not have the same level of control… even if it wasn't on purpose…” And then he let the conversation drift back to just Ireland, clearly less casual about his friends eating me than I was. “There are beautiful castle hotels that we can stay in with gorgeous views… and I thought, it might be nice to get away for a week. Just the two of us.”n

I had to admit it did sound very enticing. Not to mention how persuasive the way he kissed my neck up to my jawline up to my lips was.

 The trip was perfect. We spent so much time doing completely average tourist things, but we also found time for the ‘not-so-average’ tourist things; just a lot of alone time together. Some things, you only get to do because your boyfriend is a 300 something year old vampire. 

The idea of the experiment was brought to my attention a few days into our trip. Here, since there wouldn’t be any other trace of me to cause distraction, we could test Edwards theory that I couldn’t be tracked. This was cause for much debate in the Cullen house because they knew me and they knew how to look for me. Carlisle believed that he could track me solely based on scent. He believed he wouldn’t lose control and eat me in the process.

Which is precisely how I ended up hidden deep inside a ‘small’ patch of Irish woods. I wasn’t exactly lost, I walked for roughly an hour in one direction hoping to lose the vampire, but not the way back. I kissed Carlisle goodbye two hours before he would set out to find me. I ran out of energy pretty early and then hiked for a bit more. 

The woods here weren’t unlike the woods at home. I could navigate them well enough but it was still exhausting to hike through them with little to no paths. Eventually I gave up and found a fallen tree to sit on. I figured since I was out here anyway, I might as well get some writing done.

With the return of the Cullens, my poems became less edgy and existential and flowed into something more peaceful and beautiful. It became the poetry of someone who was content with their life and was excited to see what came next. 

However, it was incredibly hard to focus with the knowledge of just how alone I really was. Instead of putting pen to paper I let myself become absorbed in the woods around me. The wind in the trees, the chirping of birds, it all kept my focus. While I could recognize the anxiety I felt, it was also very serene here. Maybe I could just push the panic aside knowing that any second, he would be with me again.

Then the woods around me seemed to still and I smiled at the open page before me and wrote the first six words that filled my head.

“The silent comfort of being found”

I wasn’t scared. I didn’t hear him at all, but he didn’t frighten me as his arms wrapped around my waist. But to be fair, I had been expecting him. I felt his lips grace my neck and the sound I made only encouraged him to kiss me more.

“I found you, Dove.” He whispered in my ear.

“I knew you would.” I hadn’t intended to sound so light but he made me feel like I could float away. I leaned back into him, relying more on him than the log. He didn't budge.

“I think Edward might have the right idea though,” He said in between kisses. The confusion in his voice almost made me turn to look at him but I didn’t want to interrupt the attention. “I couldn’t track you on scent alone. I knew I’d find you, but… at times it was like you’d never been there at all. But I felt pulled to you all the same.”

I couldn’t help the way I melted into him, I turned just enough to rest my forehead on his chest; he continued to kiss my neck and only pulled back to look me in the eyes. “I think I’d be able to find you wherever you went, though I would be interested to see if Edward could track you.” 

I felt a soft chill up my spine at the idea. “You wouldn’t let him.” I pointed out.

“No, I wouldn’t.” He kissed my cheek and pushed my hair out of my face. None of his family had the control he had. If any other vampire tracked me out here, I wouldn’t make it home. 

When I looked into his eyes, they were still bright and golden. There wasn’t even the smallest trace of instability.

I just wanted to kiss him and forget about everything for a while. Life was chaotic and he made me feel grounded- even when I was ‘lost’ in a foreign forest. He sighed and rested his forehead on mine. “It’s getting late… I should get you back to the room.”

“Are you going out tonight?” I would never try to stop him from seeing his friends. Of course I wanted him to see his friends, I just didn’t love the idea of being alone. It would only be a few hours. I could handle it. I had a feeling he knew how I felt anyway and that’s why he hadn’t gone yet. I wasn’t about to make it worse.

“I might.” He placed a delicate kiss to my nose, I giggled. “Siobhan might come looking for me if I don’t visit soon, since she knows I’m here. I can stay with you until you fall asleep, you won’t even know I’m gone.”

I doubted that, but I played it off. “I can handle that.” I kissed him quickly to reassure him. “Carry me?”

“Of course, Cara.” I grinned at him and put my notebook back in my bag. As soon as I was ready, and without saying a word, Carlisle lifted me with ease into his arms. He carried me out of the woods so much faster than it took me to get in there, I almost thought I hadn’t gotten that far.

He slowed and we broke through the treeline at the back of the hotel. There were a few couples and families sitting in the yard enjoying picnics and watching the stars.

I had to hold back my laughter as he set me down. I whispered so that only he could hear me, “That couple totally thinks we just had sex back there…”

He laughed, placed a kiss to my hair, and threw his arm over my shoulder. In response, he whispered. “I am far too much of a gentleman to just take you against the first flat surface in the middle of a forest.” As he walked, he grinned and I couldn’t take my eyes off him. He leaned in and breathed, “I will not be able to say the same, once we are back in the room.”

I shivered at his words. I’m sure the blush that heated my face confirmed what they were thinking, even though it wasn’t actually true. I hid my face in his shoulder as we walked. 

When we got on the elevator he kissed me like he fully intended to keep to his word. I hardly noticed when it opened on our floor. Luckily he did, and even more luckily, there wasn’t anyone waiting to use the elevator.

He walked backwards and led me towards our room. He swept me off my feet again before we even reached the door. Once we were inside, and the door was firmly shut and locked behind us, he sat me on the first available table and made me forget my own name.

We lost a few hours. We took a shower and he made me food as I sat on the counter watching him cook. He let me fall asleep on his chest as he read War and Peace . I didn’t notice when he kissed my forehead, or told me he loved me. I didn’t notice when he left or when he came back. 

~~

I don’t think I could get used to the peace I felt there. Carlisle drove me to a beach on a very cloudy day, as the sun was setting. The water was cold but I stood in the ocean and let the waves crash around my feet. I let him spin me around as we danced to the sound of it all. I let myself get lost in all the love I felt for him.

I twirled out as far as our joined arms could stretch and he spun me back in. He wrapped his arms around my shoulders. He kissed my ear.

“You’re so beautiful.” He whispered and I probably wouldn’t have heard it if he wasn’t right by my ear. He leaned back and cupped my cheek with his hand. I almost didn’t notice the coolness anymore. 

He studied my face, his thumb brushing across my cheekbone. He looked into my eyes like he was trying to memorize their color. He spoke again, though I could hardly make it out. “So beautiful.”

I leaned up and kissed him and he met me halfway. His hand moved from my cheek to lift my chin. When we eventually broke apart I smiled up at him.

“You know I love you, right?” I asked.

He laughed at me, “I would certainly hope so.” He placed a soft kiss on my forehead before adding, “I love you, Y/n.”

It took a lot of sweet talking to convince me to get out of the ocean and to go back to the room. 

~~ 

Despite how much I really did not want to, we had to fly home eventually, rushed only slightly by a frantic call from Alice. Apparently, Victoria would be passing through Forks and Alice thought they’d have a pretty good chance of catching her this time. However, they weren’t going to tell Bella, and she demanded that Edward go to Jacksonville with her. With Edward out, our family was now, not only down in numbers, but also down one mind reader who could hear her before the rest of them could, so Alice was frantic. 

Of course they could still rely on Alice's visions, but with the wolves hunting too, things could get missed. I wondered if it would be safer if we just told Bella what was going on. I wanted to tell her what was going on, but I knew she would probably use herself as bait if she knew. 

If she knew though, we could convince her to take Dad to Jacksonville and Edward could stay and fight with the rest of his family. I think we’d still fly home though. I would never ask Carlisle to not stand with his family, and he wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving them to defend themselves. I hoped it wouldn’t come to a fight anyway.

Victoria was alone, and revenge hungry. Maybe they could take her out quickly, and then it would all be over.

We caught a flight out of Ireland at nearly 1 in the morning, after Alice called. We made it through security and to our gate with 30 minutes to spare. I was ridiculously tired, given the time. I knew I had to at least board the plane before I passed out. Which I found increasingly harder the longer I sat with my head on his shoulder.

“Y/n?” His voice was soft and he elongated each letter of my name.

“Hmm?” I didn’t have the energy to really answer, but I did lift my head to look at his face.

His gaze met mine and he wore a delicate smile. “Where would you like to travel next?”

Confused by his spontaneous question, I asked, “You want to start planning our next vacation before we’re even home?” He laughed and shrugged.

“Seemed as good a time as any. If only to help you stay awake.” I yawn on cue, as if to prove his point.

“Okay, okay!” I couldn’t help but laugh with him. I took a second to think about it before sighing. “Part of me wants to fly off somewhere warm and secluded, but another part of me thinks that… maybe we should stay home for a bit.” I could see the confusion flash across his features, “I just mean- Dads been getting on to me about getting back to a ‘normal’ life” I put air quotes around the words.

I continued, “Maybe, if I get a job, he'll settle a bit. And- related but kind of a side note- Bella is going to graduate soon and then…” I couldn’t bring myself to finish the thought.

His face softened, “I understand, Cara.” 

“I want to travel more with you. Once some of the dust settles.” I put emphasis behind my words and lifted my hand to caress his cheek. He placed a kiss against my palm.

“That sounds like a good plan.” I broke eye contact with him to yawn, pulling my hand back to cover it. He chuckled, “You can sleep on the plane. I don’t think they will let me carry you on if you’re unconscious.”

I sighed dramatically, “But this flight is only an hour and a half. It’s hardly worth it. Then we’ll be in London for 3 hours before we get on another plane.”

He raised an eyebrow while listening to my reasoning, “You can sleep on that one too, you know.”

“ Oooor I could stay up for the first flight, spend extra time talking to you, then sleep for all of the second flight.” I matched his expression, a huge smile shining through the exhaustion on my face.

He didn’t seem convinced, “Can you stay up for nearly five more hours?”

“Is that a challenge?”

“No-” 

“Because I accept!” We didn’t stop laughing even as he kissed me and when we boarded the plane I ordered a hot coffee. I looked him in the eyes as I took the first sip, sending us both into another fit of giggles. We were still laughing as the plane took off.

I stayed awake during the first flight just fine. I drank two cups of coffee and I had to keep talking. Though Carlisle didn’t seem to mind. I spent most of my time trying to convince him that Howl’s Moving Castle was a better book than War and Peace . He, of course, respectfully disagreed, but said he would give Howl’s Moving Castle a chance. I celebrated the win for at least getting that. I wasn’t all that serious anyway, but the debate kept me awake.

Now, getting off the plane proved significantly harder than expected. I could hardly drag myself through the airport. I could already feel the jetlag pulling me down and we hadn’t even changed time zones yet. We stopped at a shop and I got a soda, hoping to only stay awake long enough to get on the next flight. I kissed him every chance I got, mostly to keep myself busy; but also, it was quickly becoming one of my favorite things to do.

Kissing Carlisle Cullen in a busy airport was definitely up there with: kissing him in the rain, or in the woods of Ireland, or on the cliff by his house. All I wanted to do was kiss him. He was always more than happy to oblige.

When we were finally on our flight home, I rested my head on his shoulder and pulled the travel blanket over us. He squeezed my hand.

“What’s the plan?” I asked, my voice heavy with exhaustion. 

“We get you home,” He kissed my head for emphasis. “Then this weekend, Edward will keep Bella safe in Jacksonville. The others have arranged a party of sorts on the reservation- some kind of sporting event. Which should keep your father busy… and we think it would be best if you stayed down there as well, despite how much I wish I could keep you with me.”

I yawned and he chuckled into my hair. “Sounds like a very safe plan.”

“We’ve all worked very hard to make sure it is. I’ll spend forever ensuring your safety.” I would have kissed him if I had the energy to lift my head. 

“At least until I’m like you…” I could feel the sleep washing over me. I allowed my eyes to close. He kissed my hair again and rested his chin on my head.

“Probably even then.” I felt it, more than I heard it, as I finally drifted off to sleep.

Taglist!

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14. reunited┊ ┊⋆ beyond the stars - kakyoin x reader

synopsis - you've been sent to join the joestar crew on their mission to defeat dio by... dio? y/n is an undercover stand user who joins the sdc to report back to dio their findings and notes about their stands, up until a few moral dilemmas get in the way of your original mission.

ch .synopsis - the return to the mansion goes a lot differently than you expected

series masterlist

hi everyone, before we get into this chapter, I would like to thank you all for tuning into this shit storm of a fic. I'm excited to start some future works and I truly hope you'll join me for the ride. to consistent readers, you've all been wonderful and rest assured edits will come to this fic slowly but surely. much love to you all <3 This will be a much longer finale. Strap in. tw: mention of guns, restraint.

You walked down the hall, head still held high, but the tears just began to flow. All too soon, you arrived at Dio's door. Taking a moment to compose yourself you sighed. It took all your mental strength to bring yourself to pushing open the monster's french doors.

"I'm here, Dio." You said through the darkness. You felt the aura of his power behind you instantly, almost like he had teleported, but at this point, you couldn't care less. "I've completed my task, where is she?" You asked sternly, turning to face Dio.

"Dropping the "Lord" are we? You should truly respect your elders, (y/n)." Dio stated, his words rolling smoothly off the tongue. "I thought I had taught you that."

"Habit with the Joestars. Where is she?" You stood your ground.

"Fine." Dio snarled at you and led you to a large cage in the corner of the room. It was left in front of the draped window and some other lavish posessions you had studied for ages and made just right for Dio that he barely seemed to care about. "You're lucky I didn't touch her. The damage she has she did to herself."

"(y/n)." Your mother called the best she could, throat parched from dehydration. Despite this, a grin still made it to her thin lips, happy to see her daughter at least once more.

"You have to get out of here, while he's merciful towards you. I got myself into this I'll deal with these consequences." She choked out. "It's okay Mom, we made a deal, you're gonna be set free." You said in attempt to comfort her.

"Are you that foolish, girl?" Dio cackled behind you. "I was kind enough to let you live in the outside world and do part of your bidding away. This wench got herself wrapped into this. Attempt to disobey me and I kill her in front of you." He said snidely. "She's so malnourished she's probably on death's door anyways."

"I gave up my friends, I was a liar, I acted loyal to you and it put my family in danger." You said, dejected. "I don't know why I put my faith in a promise from you ever."

"That was your decision." Dio said snidely. "Now I respect your capabilities enough to let you have a grieving moment together."

You went blind with sheer emotion. While Dio watched you and your mother hold hands through the bars in what should've been those last moments, you grabbed the rope that would pull back the curtain. "I'll come up with something." You mouthed to (y/m/n), tears in both of your eyes. "I love you, (y/n), with all my heart. I'm still proud of you." (y/m/n) said. "I love you too, Mom."

Pulling back the curtain just a smidge, you used the little light you had to make a key for the trap your mother was in. Not enough for Dio to notice, as if it were the usual draft blowing drapes in the wind.

There was a bump.

"Jesus!" You screamed and accidentally yanked the cord for the window. Light flooded the room from the window and from below.

Please let that be literally anyone fighting and winning.

A Vanilla Ice sphere-shaped hole appeared in the ground. Up and back he went.

Dio wailed in pain. Blinded and burned by the light.

He's still a vampire at the end of the day.

"Uh, oops." Suddenly, your brain kicked into gear. Quickly unlocking the cage, you got your mother out and ran.

"(y/n) how did you have a key?" Your mother asked baffled, unaware of your stand power. "I'll tell you later, but you think he ordered massive steel cages and death traps from amazon?"

You both rushed out the doors and ran as fast you could and began to run down the many flights of stairs in the tower. (y/m/n) was running out of stamina and quickly. Having barely eaten and barely any water, she staggered behind. You stood back as she caught up and put her on your back. "I remember doing this for you in the house when you were little, it's kinda funny" She commented tiredly, resting her head over your shoulder. Blinking back tears, you took out your phone and called emergency services.

"Hello, I need an ambulance, stat. I'm with my mother and she's malnourished to exhaustion, can you be by the large double gates at the mansion on fifth? I'll be out in five."

Without waiting for a response, you hung up quickly, solely focused on getting your mom out and to safety.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs and to the front door, you found Polnareff, struggling to get on his feet. "Pol!" You called, letting your Mom off your back, now that you were to the bottom of the stairs, while Dio recovered.

Entering the room, you saw the sheer damage caused by Vanilla Ice. Looking up, you saw the hole leading to Dio's private quarters. Jaw agape, you got to Polnareff. "Shit, shit are you okay? Where's the others?!" You said panicked, whilst helping him to his feet.

"Care to explain yourself?" He asked sternly. "Long story short I was a double agent and a tracking device for Dio to find you guys because he was holding my mom hostage. All hell broke loose, and I'm getting her out of here and coming back to you guys."

The sirens of an ambulance rang outside and paramedics rushed into the wrecked room, seeing your mother hanging onto you while you explained to a damaged Polnareff.

"Mom, go with them." You said to her sternly. "You're coming with me, right? Your friend can come with too." (y/m/n) said, almost pleading. She wanted her daughter home and safe.

"I can't, Mom. I just can't. I'm sorry, I have to finish this." She looked at you desperately one more time. Sighing, she knew she couldn't change your mind. Looking longingly at you she said softly, "I love you."

"I love you too, Mom."

Giving each other one last hug, she left with the paramedics. One more stayed behind to make sure you and Polnareff were stable and tried to usher you both to safety. "We're waiting on Speedwagon Foundation responders." You lied with ease, sending away the doctors with your mother.

"Polnareff, I'm really sorry for lying to everyone, but we have to get out of here soon, and I'm going with you whether you want me to or not. Where on Earth are the others?" You rattled out, as you used the light from the hole in the wall to make silver bullets for yourself, and gauze wrap for Polnareff's foot.

"(y/n), I pray I'm not the only one left. Avdol and Iggy are gone."

The motivation in you faltered for a moment, eyes watering. "We can't sit and grieve though, we don't have that luxury." Polnareff reminded you as you began to wrap the injury on his foot. "I can't promise we're going to be fine." You looked up at Polnareff as you tied off the gauze, waiting for him to finish his statement. "That's the whole sentence."

"Oh."

"I knew you weren't actually evil you know."

You helped up Polnareff. "What makes you say that?"

"It's just not your vibe, also, you're literally helping me right now. You helped your mother escape. If I didn't trust you before still, I don't have a reason to not trust you now."

"Thanks."

You both looked at the stairs in front of you that lead to the darkness above. Speed walking up them as fast as you could to stay with Polnareff, you loaded and cocked your pistol. "I'm going to go branch off here and find the others. Dio might show you mercy if you're not with me. Keep going up!"

You said, tearing away from Polnareff. As you ran down the hallway you heard a familiar "Ora!" in the distance. Running towards the doors at the end of the hallway. "There's something else coming!" You heard Kakyoin warn. Hearing his voice again made your heart pound. You were ecstatic to see him, but guilt weighed on your conscious. You stopped for a moment before they could see through door.

There's no time to hesitate.

You turned through the door to find Mr. Joestar, Jotaro, and Kakyoin ready to fight.

"What the fuck are you doing here? You gonna try to kill us too?" Jotaro said seething, Star Platinum glaring at you with hatred.

"Guys, I promise I can explain, I'm gonna get you to Polnareff, it's still day time, we still have some kind of advantage with Dio!" You rambled with fake enthusiasm, thoughts scattered, heart beating out of your chest seeing Kakyoin again, focusing on getting Dio, the insane guilt you felt, oh god even convincing them now. Heirophant Green's tendrils grabbed your wrists and spread them wide, preventing you from moving or aiming the gun still in your hand.

"You know I figured there was something off with you. I gave you benefit of the doubt, but we all still trusted you, I still trusted you, I ignored it and I fell for you." Kakyoin said cooly, yet disparaging to you.

"Nori, I wanted to-" You were stretched further by Heirophant at the mention of your nickname for him "-tell you. I wanted to tell all of you before we got to the mansion but things happened too-"

"You're still a mole, a liar." Kakyoin raised his voice. Hurt written on his face. Violet eyes that once looked at you with love and longing now looked at you with disgust. You looked to the others, a plea for forgiveness in your eyes.

"We're going ahead, Kakyoin. We'll meet up later." Mr. Joestar said looking away from you, solemn in the fact you had betrayed them all. Him and Jotaro headed towards the door you entered from.

"Avdol and Iggy didn't make it. Please just let me take you to Polnareff. Please. He's alive, I treated his injuries after fighting." You begged. Your vision following them as Mr. Joestar and Jotaro stopped in their tracks at this news.

"Nori-" You corrected yourself. "Kakyoin, Please, just please listen to me. You can be angry all you want at me but we need to get back to Polnareff, he could be with Dio by himself right now for all we know!"

"And why should I trust you? So you can get inside my head again?" His grip tightened.

The air crackled with tension as Hierophant's stayed strong around your wrists, Kakyoin's eyes betraying a mix of anger and hurt. You felt the weight of his disappointment like a physical blow, the guilt already overwhelming you.

"I know I've betrayed your trust," you began, "And I don't expect you to forgive me right away. But please, if anything let me explain before you make a decision."

Mr. Joestar and Jotaro stayed behind to listen to you.

"I never wanted to deceive any of you," you confessed, your voice raised and full of emotion. "I still reported to Dio after I became actually close with you because he could go and hurt my Mom whenever he wanted. I'm sorry, but I wanted to protect my mother!"

The three men listened in silence, Kakyoin's grip still tight as you recounted the events that had led you to this moment, the fear and desperation that had driven you to betray your friends. You laid bare your regrets, and almost worked to tears apologizing.

"I know I can't undo what I've done," you admitted, tears stinging your eyes. "But I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make things right. Kakyoin I truly have feelings for you, that hasn't changed." You dropped your gun and it skated across the tile floor. "I'm not gonna fight you, and I really don't want your anger getting taken out on me, I know I'd lose to all of you. You don't want to trust me fine, let me at least go back to Polnareff! I don't want him doing this alone. If we live you can kill me as many times over as you want, but I'm not letting Dio win." You said sternly.

Kakyoin glanced at the gun on the ground, to the two Joestar men, then back at you. He seemed to be weighing your words, struggling with the decision. Finally, he sighed, the tension in his shoulders easing just a fraction. "Alright," he said softly. Hierophant dropped you.

"Thank you, thank you so much." You said softly to Kakyoin, almost forgetting the situation you were in. A glimmer of hope was in his eyes for you. That spark was still there.

"Lovely reunion but time isn't on our side. Where's Polnareff?!" Mr. Joestar urged.

Taking out your phone, you used the life360 circle. Dio was in the stairwell close to his tower on the third floor.

"Okay, I know where we need to go." You said, devising a plan. Grabbing your gun you all ran out the door and to the window at the end of the hall. Looking up, there was a balcony above. "Can we use Hierophant Green and Hermit Purple to get us up there?" You asked frantically looking back to the others. Using his stand almost like a grappling hook, Joseph raised himself up to the balcony, and Jotaro used Star Platinum's extreme power in his legs to almost box jump up. Grabbing your hand, Kakyoin was able to use Hierophant to safely get you both up.

"Jotaro, break through that wall!" You said

"What?"

"Trust me!" You said, urgency in your voice. Star smashed through the wall, and you saw Polnareff once again.

"(y/n)!" He seemed to almost cheer. The sun shined through the hole, causing Dio to flee.

"After him!" Mr. Joestar commanded. "Before we go after him I need to tell you something!" You all stared back at Polnareff curiously. "I've experienced his stand!" Polnareff explained the stairs incident.

"Where're Avdol and Iggy?" Jotaro asked, not sure if you were telling the truth earlier.

"I thought (y/n) would've passed on the news, they wont be joining us." Polnareff broke eye contact and choked back his tears. "In order to save me, they. . ." Tears pricked your eyes too, as you were reminded of the loss you and your friends had faced. You instinctively looked to Kakyoin, and you caught him doing the same. You offered a reassuring half smile, but without returning it he turned back to everyone else on the stairs. When did he put the sunglasses back on?

"Mr. Joestar, the sun is setting, we should hurry."

"(y/n) what's above this floor?" Jotaro asked sternly.

"It's one of Dio's rooms at the top of his tower. He goes there during the day, the stairs are the only entrance."

Racing to the top of the tower, you saw a brown coffin sitting there. One you made for him. The gold embellishments were crafted to his liking, the jewel encrusted "D" twinkled under the minimal light at the top of the tower. You saw now that it was actually a dramatic centerpiece for him to lay in.

Ugh typical.

"(y/n), open the casket." Jotaro said deadpan. You looked at Jotaro with a raised eyebrow, yet you knew you had no wiggle room with trust with these guys. You slowly approached the casket, and took a deep breath. Slowly lifting the lid, you were inside the casket. Above your body was a knife, falling from the ceiling.

"Oh fu-"

You were yanked out of the casket almost just as fast, the knife clipping your head, leaving a cut down the center of your head.

Hierophant had you by the ankles to pull you back close if needed. After realizing this, amongst the hysteria, you mouthed a "thanks" and offered a smile to Kakyoin. You got a nod in return.

It's at least something.

You felt an eerie feeling. Bloodlust. The intent to kill. You hadn't felt it so strongly ever before. All eyes were on you, waiting for anything about Dio or his stand or where to look next.

"Something is a bit strange." Jotaro comments. He felt it too. You all shared a look, Polnareff becoming shaken and frozen.

"We have to get out of here now!" Mr. Joestar declared, grabbing Polnareff with Hermit Purple, as they all jumped from the window, and swinging off. You ran for the stairs, only for Kakyoin to grab you with Hierophant again.

Taking refuge on the roof of a building a block down, you all catch your breath. "Uh, Mr. Joestar, the sun is setting." Everyone turns to watch the sun sink below the horizon.

"His time has come." Kakyoin says grimly.

"Mr. Joestar, you aren't going to retreat and wait for sunrise, are you? Because I'll tell you this!" Polnareff gets up and gets in Mr. Joestar's face. "Day or night, there's absolutely no way I'm running now!"

You watched the men argue, Polnareff storms off. Sitting there you just watch in bewilderment, still trying to process.

"I'll follow Polnareff, you three go, and take (y/n) with you. Get as far away as you can. We'll circle around." The men nod and you, not even caught up blindly follow Kakyoin and Mr. Joestar. After he buys a truck from a random man off the street, you all pile into the car, Mr. Joestar driving, you in the back seat and Kakyoin in the passenger seat.

Peaking in the rearview, you see a silver limousine catching up. "Guys we need to go faster he's catching up." You say anxiously.

"How'd he even know it was us"

"Shit, my location." You turned off your location on life360. "It's useless he already knows what car we're in."

"I'm ahead of you (y/n)." Kakyoin says cooly from the front.

You look through the rearview to see Hierophant performing an emerald splash, only for it to be deflected by Dio with, one finger.

"What the hell? It only took him one finger? Even with a narrowed aim and getting closer?"

The World appeared and landed direct hit on Kakyoin.

"Be careful Kakyoin!" Mr. Joestar bellowed.

Wait a minute, I still have a gun. You peaked out the window and aimed for the driver. You fired two shots and at least one of them landed. The limousine crashed. Turning back and still driving away, Kakyoin's head was bleeding. "Are you alright? Did you see the world?!" Mr. Joestar questioned. Checking your bag for any extra gause, you listened to Kakyoin and Mr. Joestar strategize.

"Guys, there's something coming this way," you said warily. "Is that, Senator Phillips?" You said as he was hurled toward the vehicle, causing it to crash. Dio approached the busted up truck. Being in the back and unbuckled, you took a bit of damage. Glass stuck from your skin, and cuts and bruises littered your limbs. Opening your eyes from your upside down position, you saw Dio sauntering over. "Guys, guys, guys!" You said urgently, shaking Mr. Joestar and Kakyoin. You all swung up to the buildings above, Kakyoin holding onto you himself this time around. He stopped for a moment as you got to the top.

"Kakyoin! We have to go! What are you doing?!" Mr. Joestar said, panic in his voice.

"I have an idea, I know how to find the secret of his stand." Kakyoin said with confidence. He grabbed your hand and looked into your eyes just once more. He squeezed your hand in reassurance and looked at you with admiration in his eyes one last time. The admiration wasn't the only thing written in his eyes though, it was also confidence. Whatever he had planned, he knew he couldn't fail.

Mr. Joestar took you with hermit purple and swung to hide behind a building a few over. You watched as Kakyoin had woven his web of Hierophant's emerald splash.

"Mr. Joestar, I never got to apologize to you, for uh, you know. I'm truly sorry." You said to him, waiting for Dio to approach Kakyoin.

"You know, I'm old, I've seen some things, I've seen pure evil, and I've seen it a lot. That's not you. We all trust you again to some degree, and despite his anger earlier, you still mean a lot to Kakyoin. I can say I forgive you."

"Thank you Mr. Joestar."

"He's coming." You both peaked around the top of the building you hid on, watching intently. Dio had triggered some of the strings, activating small splashes. Kakyoin stood stop a cell tower towards the center. It took a second, not even a second. He flew into the water tower over twenty meters away. You could see through him as he flew.

No. No no no. This cannot be happening. Tears welled up in your eyes and you couldn't hold them back. You looked in horror, Kakyoin's blood staining his jacket. Unconsciously, you moved from behind the building and legs collapsed seeing him in this condition.

"Joseeeph!" Dio appeared behind you both, callinng out in a sing songy voice. "You're next, and don't think I've forgotten about you, wench" He said, taking a jab at you. You could normally come back with a shitty comeback to Dio's teasing. "Where's your spunk? Or do you not have any fight in you left?" The vampire teased you.

You cried out in anger, and took out your gun once more, firing its remaining shots into Dio. "Ah, it's no matter, but don't you think that for Jonathan's body the best blood to assimilate it with would be from a Joestar, would it not?"

You sat there in shock not knowing what to do. You couldn't look to Kakyoin for an answer anymore. A final emerald splash struck the clock tower adjacent to you all. "Hm, pointless. I guess he wanted to go out with a bang." Dio said, careless. You began to think, Kakyoin, wouldn't do something pointless.

The clock is destroyed, it's stopped. Stopping the clock.

Dio monologuing to Mr. Joestar gave you time to look at your surroundings. Below, there was a balcony just a floor below.

"Stop time!" You yelled out and jumped off the back of the building, landing on the balcony below. Dio glanced your way and Mr. Joestar made it his opportunity to escape. Landing on the balcony, the couple in the hotel room began to scream.

"Uh sorry!" You said, and ran through their room to the exit. Running down stairs, you looked up the Speedwagon Foundation number online.

Welcome to the Speedwagon Foundation. For donor information press 1. For information on our research facility press 2. To speak to a representative press 3.

Aggressively pressing 3 while making your way halfway down, the bot replied to you again.

A representative will be with you shortly.

Jazz began to play over the phone. C'mon C'mon, Pick up!!

"Hello, you've reached customer service at the Speedwagon Foundation how can I-"

"I'm with Joseph Joestar! We need first aid and assistance immediately!" You yelled into the phone.

"I'll get you in contact with someone right now, sending paramedics as well." The Speedwagon Customer Service guy responded. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, you saw the havoc Dio had wreaked upon the city.

"Ma'am?" Another Speedwagon Repsonder through the phone.

"Hi yes, I was just with Joseph Joestar, my name is (y/n) (l/n) please for the love of all that is holy get an ambulance and some kind of medical help immediately, Kakyoin is down, he's in the water tower on 11th and Main in Cairo." You barely uttered out, out of breath and teary eyed. "Where are you (y/n)?" The call help asked. "I'm at some hotel on Main." I'm leaving the lobby now, its close to the clock tower."

"Can you stay there?"

"I will as long as I can."

Sirens wailed in the distance, hopefully Speedwagon doctors. Disheveled and bursting through the revolving door of the hotel, you saw the infamous logo on the side of the ambulance. A paramedic burst through the back door.

"Miss (y/n)?" She asked waiting for the confirmation, panic in her eyes. You offered a quick nod. "Hop in!" She yelled with urgency.

As you sat in the back, the ambulance sped off, and another paramedic investigated you for any more open wounds or wounds below the surface that they could see without large equipment. "Miss (y/n) are you alright?" The main responder asked.

You held your head in your hands and broke into a true sob.

You wouldn't know what happened to Mr. Joestar, or Jotaro, or Polnareff. You wanted to stand out there still with them, but you knew you couldn't. Fly by Day wasn't for the night, and it seemed nothing could stop Dio.

You felt utterly defeated.

previous chapter // next chapter // masterlist

taglist: @kerto-p, @pancakesyrupthief, @kakyoinslastcherry @marvelmayo, @kitchenscissorbangs 

i know, i know, a little rushed towards the end there, but this wip has been sitting in drafts for ages. love you all, one or two more chapters left :") edits to come later on!

[ardenrabbit]

Heyyy! Just wanted to say I adore your fics! They literally keep me going some days and I've reread so many chapters so many times.

Was wondering if you could give us a hint like a teaser of what's coming up or about when the next chapter is up?

Please don't take this as a demand or anything I don't wanna pressure you, you and your happiness and health come first!

It could be in a year from now and I'll still wait for it <3 ILY TY FOR DOIN GODS WORK <3

Aaaah thank you so much!!! 💜🥺💜 I'm so happy you're enjoying them and that I can add something to your day! Tbh writing keeps me going too 💕

I'm clawing my way out of some writer's block and still rereading some stuff to get context and clarification on some things, but progress is being made! I can never guarantee when I'm going to update but I hope to get something posted within the next couple weeks. I promise I look forward to updating as much as you do 😭 Having multiple projects is helping keep me invested in them too lol, it keeps things fresh c:

Thank you for asking in such a kind way! I sincerely enjoy the engagement! Lemme see what I can share uhhhh...

ALaSR: Next chapter is gonna be Hua Cheng POV! Their POVs are gonna be alternating every chapter for the remainder of the fic. This recovery isn't Xie Lian's alone 💕 We're also gonna get some Mean Hua Cheng coming up and I'm very excited lol. Honestly I think alasr!XL hasn't really had exposure to the fact that, yeah, HC is a calamity and uses his power how he wants and also doesn't like everyone that XL likes. I crave conflict and I finally get to write itttttt 💖💖💖

TWoF: This whole fic is gonna be solely HC POV. Next chapter is gonna pose a lot more questions than answers, cause it's only chapter 3, but it'll give a lot more context about the life that this au's HC is living. (Honestly, I'm enjoying that this HC has such a chip on his shoulder lol, speculating on how his personality and worldview would be if he hadn't met Xie Lian early on.) This fic is...not gonna have the kind of fluff alasr has lol. But it will end happy!!

I also have an MDZS fic that I posted one chapter of and then dropped on hiatus 😬 Really wanting to get back to that one soon but the amount of research I realized I'd need to do to write it in a way that satisfies me is sort of paralyzing 😅 I either have to do yet more reading or lower my writing standards, so, I'm reading lmao. But TGCF is as long as it is, so it's taking a while to finish rereading it, and THEN I can read this collection of material on the entire history of China I've gathered. Sadly, despite best efforts, I'm an extremely slow reader 😣

Thank you so much for the ask! I'm excited to keep working on these! 💜